Story Book Club
by hecalledmecarrots
Summary: How can you miss it? When its right in front of your face? Story Book Club Series Part 1/?
1. Introduction

**After I read an authors note of KWAK (thanks for the mention Katherine, it means a lot that it shows that I love Anne) it was something you said in that note which nudged this.**

 **Why does Anne resist an apparently handsome man who adores her for so long, what makes her do it?**

 **And this is where this story came to mind, in concept. It does explore outside the club, but its based obviously within Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island. I hope to explore Anne's romantic ideals, how she didn't recognise love when it was slam bang in front of her and how she missed it, and also how she starts to develop a deeper sense of love.**

 **We need to remember the 'love' we all recognised, we all loved the 'Gilbert' kind of love, made her uncomfortable, it was a feeling she didn't associate with romance and I honestly don't believe she was resisting anything, I think it was a lack of understanding, until she was courting Roy. (Was she courting? I think it was, not in the modern day really but the proper Victorian way, which probably meant no kisses, you often only kissed after engagement!)**

 **And shock horror for me its based IN CANON in ERA! What the actual! This very rarely happens! But ought to be lovely, I love Anne, you often see things as a third person looking in on her but 1st person narrative is rare, and was in that style and era of writing, so we see what happens but often not what is behind what is happening. It is something I like about the 'ANNE' series is, where I don't think they are always right they are trying to explore people's histories their backstories and their motivations. I think some openness which is portrayed in it is far too open for the political and social history of that time, I think there is a definite modern taint to it, I suppose in an attempt to make some of the themes more relevant. I say this to my husband often, its something quite popular to do at the moment, and its to whitewash relevantly modern history. I could write an essay on this alone let me tell you! But back to my point its in era and we get to see Anne's friendship with the other girls (Jane and Ruby for example) and of course, something which isn't really focused in on but mentioned, the developing friendship with Gilbert (and eventual romance).**

 **Love Carrots.**

* * *

"Tell me more of the haunting." Diana preyed Anne as they skimmed the edge of the haunted woods.

The early roots of spring begun to embed on the landscape of North Prince Edward Island. Patches of snow still lingered in scene, scattered amid the cold, flowering snowdrops, single small and white with their drooping bell shaped flowers the tiny six tepals in two circles, gave hope in the frost nipping at the nose that the earth in its ancient knowledge sensed something warmer beneath the surface.

Christmas, had been long forgotten by Mid February and by this day, a few days after Anne's birthday in early March, the snow was no longer the winter wonderland frost but to most, an inconvenience to be endured until the seasons changed. Most people didn't linger out longer then needed, preferring to rush point to designation in the hope that they would avoid this seasons bout of sniffles and flu, Anne and Diana slowly walked home from the school house together, preferring the good company rather then worried about the nip of red to their noses.

"The winter is the most delicious time to share it," Anne admitted, "it makes the icy fingers so much more relatable." Anne laughed.

"Must we go into the haunted woods?" Diana shook, though out of cold or fear no one could know.

"But I've found the most perfect place for our Story Club." Anne admitted as they entered therein. Diana looked up into the spindly tree branches, empty of leaves they looked like long fingers reaching towards her, so frightened was she by the imagine of the trees extending out for her she almost missed Anne's description of their new den.

"Its a shack of little interest to anyone, I wonder how it even got there, its like an old shed, there's no foundation it looks as though it might fall, but I investigated it inside and whoever built it knew it wouldn't. There's a door and four walls and has been long abandoned as there is nothing inside."

"Who would put a shed in the middle of the woods?" Diana questioned.

"It close to the old well, maybe whomever built that." Anne suggested.

"Well whoever it was they were a loner." Diana remarked. "Imagine living all the way out here in the woods on your own!"

"Maybe they never left!" Anne replied with a spook to her throat.

"Oh Anne!" Diana exclaimed "don't!" she squealed "My mother said Mrs Lynde said that making stories up are ungodly."

"Only if they are lies about a person, these characters will be kindreds of the mind. That is the only place they'll exist." Anne proclaimed. "Ah look!" Anne exclaimed "here we are!" she said.

Diana looked up and couldn't disagree with Anne's description of the place. It was indeed a shed shack. "Anne!" she exclaimed "you can't mean to go inside!"

"I do, why should I not?" she asked.

"It just..." Diana said confused "its just so... so..." she searched for the right word. "It looks like something my mother would tell me to stay away from." She decided.

"If your mother told you to jump off a cliff would you?" Anne asked rebelliously.

"I doubt my mother would." Diana sighed before she paused. "You've been inside?" she asked.

Anne nodded. "I swear to you its safe." She almost breathed as she pulled Diana towards it and before Diana could object further she was part way through the shacks door. "See its not so bad." Anne tried, going in deeper. "Marilla was going to get rid of some curtains but I asked her if I could use them, I thought we could put them up here..." she said reaching across the sole window looking out into the woods. Diana looked amazed at first that their presence didn't bring the shack down as she listened to Anne waltz around "Marilla was getting rid of some pillows and she says we're welcome to them, rather then them being thrown away, at least here they'll be used still we can read by candlelight Diana, oh can you imagine how romantic it shall be?" she asked her friend.

Diana now standing straight a little more confident of Anne's plan smiled at her friend "I'll see what mother can spare too." She nodded.

"Shall we?" Anne asked Diana, to which Diana nodded and sat on an old flipped bucket where Anne cleared a old stool found in the opposite corner, pulling it towards the old crooked table in the middle of the shack. "Here on 15th March 1878, we call the first meeting of the story club. I as co-founder bring it to order, do I hear a second?"

"I second it." Diana said her hand going up.

"Very well. Let it be noted that both Anne Shirley and Diana Barry is in attendance." Anne said with a smile, pulling out of her bag two pens and paper she started writing on the first sheet. "Marilla has given me a small allowance." She admitted to Diana, "I do so love paper over the slate there is something a bit more romantic about the writing." Anne smiled. "I spent all the money on these." She said with a smile giving Diana the other pen and putting the ink well on the half broken table. "Isn't it wonderful we can make notary." Anne squealed. "Now, as this is the first meeting there is no previous notes so lets move to it." Anne said in her best official voice. "The first thing we should do is elect the principle member, as we are both co-founders we both have claim to the title..."

"But you are so much more imaginative Anne, the title shall go to you. I would be thrilled to be secretary!"

Anne smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically "then this belongs to you." She said sliding over the paper she had started writing the minutes for the meeting on. "Second we need a purpose a goal a reason for being."

"To write stories you goose!" Diana exclaimed with a laugh "I thought that was obvious.

"But we can't write with no purpose. Are we to write a novel in a year, or a short story in a week? Do we aim to stay the same or to improve."

Diana nodded "we should have goals, otherwise we won't improve."

"I agree." Anne nodded.

"but I think a novel..." Diana gasped.

"Daunting?" Anne asked. "intimating? Unnerving?"

"All of the above." Diana smiled not sure she understood them all but knew they all amounted to the same feeling.

"I agree, a novel, although the dream, shouldn't be the primary goal." Anne said logically. "So we start small, we write one story per week." Anne nodded in satisfaction.

"I second." Diana nodded.

"Now we should have a nom de plume." Anne started.

"A what?" Diana asked.

"A pen name, like the Bronte sisters did, do you remember they of course all had male pen names but ours should be female, it seems a little anti-feministic to write under a mans name."

"Mother says the feminists are looking to subdue men, that they want to dominate society. Become men."

"I don't want to be a man!" Anne protested "I only wish to be seen as an equal. To vote, to be able to work, heaven knows I'll never marry so I need to provide for myself, why should I not be paid as a man if I work as one?"

"I didn't say I agreed." Diana reminded her . "And you know you'll marry one day."

"I'm glad you have faith I'll marry." Anne muttered.

"So a pen name?" Diana asked bringing the point back.

"Nom de plume." Anne said. "I already know mine shall be, I've had it picked out ever since I was twelve. My Nom de plume is Rosamond Montmorency."

"Mine is Currer Bell." Diana started

"You can't just copy the Bronte sisters, no matter how brilliant it is." Anne reminded her. "It doesn't matter you don't have one right now, but just make sure you have it ready for our next meeting so you can sign your work." Anne ordered. "Now our genre's are going to help us identify ourselves as authors. Romantics or gothic, tragical or comic, its important to identify ourselves early on so we can fashion our works like the greats."

"Oh it would be delicious to be gothic!" Diana exclaimed. "Can I do that?" she asked Anne.

"I was never in any doubt." Anne smiled. "What a good choice, you have some good writers to draw inspiration from."

"And you Anne?" Diana asked.

"Romance of course, the gallant knight in shining armour." She replied sighing in content before she looked up and smiled at Diana "Shall we begin?"

* * *

 ** _Valentino caressed her furrowed brow._**

 ** _"Oh my Isobella, I shall love thee all my numbered days." He breathed_**

 ** _"Oh Valentino my heart belongs to thee!" Isobella cried her tears falling silently down her beautiful face._**

 ** _"And I mine own heart to thee."_** Anne read to Diana on their lunch break.

She looked up her eyes merry and she asked her friend "So what do you think?"

Diana almost gasped "I can't believe you wrote that in one night!"

"I just got inspired!" Anne exclaimed louder then she intended that a close by Jane and Ruby overheard her "I knew our little story club would be wonderful!" she exclaimed.

"Story Club?" A squeaking Ruby asked. "What's that?"

"Anne and I have created a club to improve our writing skills." Diana told them, Anne is just sharing her first piece with me."

"Oh that sounds exciting!" Ruby smiled.

"And beneficial." Jane said practically. "It will cultivate our minds."

Anne was surprised but no less delighted "Would you like to join our club?" she asked them.

"Oh I'd love that!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I'd think so." Jane admitted.

"Thats wonderful!" Anne exclaimed. "We meet on a Tuesday Evening, if you come by Green Gables I'll walk you there. 4pm?" she asked them, to which they nodded delighted.

* * *

"...To write one story per week under a nom de plume and share them with the other members in order to improve story-writing skills." Anne explained as they sat round the little shack.

Anne had worked hard on making it a nicer place to sit, old blankets and curtains hung with care. The Barry's even spared some old garden furniture which the girls now used to sit on.

"My nom de plume is Rosamond Montmorency." Anne informed them.

"And mine is Cassandra Mayweather." Diana revealed.

"Oh, I like that!" Anne grinned.

"Oh thank you!" Diana smiled.

"Do we have to choose one now?" Jane asked dubiously.

"Well, not right away, though it should be soon for consistency in your stories." Anne replied.

"Can we invite the boys?" Ruby bounced on the chair.

"No!" The other three girls replied with different levels of enthusiasm for the answer.

"I couldn't possibly be as creative knowing I would have to read it out to boys!" Diana exclaimed.

"I must admit I would feel silly." Jane concurred.

"And anyway..." Anne said to Ruby seeing the disappointed look on her face, "I doubt any of the boys would have the imagination to appreciate our stories..." she trailed before Ruby tried to object and cut across again "...no matter how smart and handsome they might be."

"So you admit he's handsome?" Ruby teased.

"And smart?" Jane wondered.

"There's no denying that Gil- I mean that person is not ugly, and he's already caught up with his school meaning he's smart, but a handsome face and a clever head doesn't make a good or kind person."

"No just everything he's done ever since." Diana muttered under her breath.

"Sorry?" Anne asked her.

"No, boys could confuse things and mess up what we've done since..."

"We started the club." Anne nodded. "I agree. We'll take a vote. I propose a strict no boys rule in the club."

"I second it." Diana agreed.

"I third." Jane said sensibly.

A huff sound came from Ruby before Anne looked to her, struggled and apologised a "Sorry."

"Fine!" Ruby exclaimed "but you can't stop me writing about him."


	2. Diana

**Greeting Kindreds!**

 **Thank you so much for taking this journey with me, and yes impressed I'm staying within Canon, I'm so glad it flowed right its so hard to remember enough foreshadowing that you can look at it and smile but not jump too far ahead of ones self and ruin the fact your in canon.**

 **My reviewers, its a response to all of you at once really. Yes absolutely Anne doesn't have a great example of love growing up and the romance novel is her experience of romance love and where it leads, which is a happily ever after but what comes then, she never thought of really, and I think this is really the discovery of ones first romantic notions really.**

 **I love reading your comments so as always feel free to.**

 **love**

 **Carrots x**

 **Oh Bold and Italics are quotes from Jane Eyre, the Italics only are from the girls' 'stories'. I decided in this chapter not to have it as a big monologue but rather slice it into the story. It might not be the device I go with in the end but its non the less the one I'm using here.**

* * *

 _ **"You speak of friends, Jane?" he asked.**_

 _ **"Yes, of friends," I answered rather hesitatingly: for I knew I meant more than friends, but could not tell what other word to employ. He helped me.**_

 _ **"Ah! Jane. But I want a wife."**_

 _ **"Do you, sir?"**_

 _ **"Yes: is it news to you?"**_

 _ **"Of course: you said nothing about it before."**_

 _ **"Is it unwelcome news?"**_

 _ **"That depends on circumstances, sir—on your choice."**_

 _ **"Which you shall make for me, Jane. I will abide by your decision."**_

 _ **"Choose then, sir—her who loves you best."**_

 _ **"I will at least choose—her I love best. Jane, will you marry me?"**_

 _ **"Yes, sir."**_

Anne sighed as she looked up from reading the passage out to Diana.

"Isn't Mr Rochester romantic?" Anne asked her.

"Oh yes! Very!" Diana breathed, "Its breath-taking!"

"Tall, dark, handsome and rich..." Anne admitted dreamily.

"Wild, dashing, wicked" Diana smiled. "Can you imagine marrying a man like that one day?" Diana asked her in a hushed tone but still giggling at the prospect of marriage.

"No lesser a man would be worthy of us!" Anne exclaimed, then the two girls looked at each other and began to giggle. Anne looked around to her classmates "No one in Avonlea." She said deflated.

Diana looked across to the boys who in the first warm spring day sat on the opposite side of the path to them. Right now all had finished their lunches and a football was being kicked around them all. Charlie and Gilbert by far were the best co-ordinated, both boys showing off bouncing the ball from their heads to the feet before passing it to the next boy, when Moody tried similar moves the ball shot over to Diana and Anne's tree. It was Fred who was sent to retrieve the ball from the bottom of Diana's feet.

"Excuse me Ladies." He said politely. "Sorry for the interruption." With a smile to Diana which made her blush a little.

"What you reading there?" Charlie asked them.

Anne held up the book.

"Jane Eyre." Gilbert nodded. "Ambitious."

"Finished." Anne boasted.

Gilbert grinned to the ground and nodded before he asked. "Did you like it?" he asked her.

"Have you read it?" Anne asked doubtfully.

" ** _Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you._** " He quoted much to Anne's surprise. "I know something of it?"

"You enjoyed it?" Anne asked not bothering to hide her surprise.

"I don't think _enjoyed_ is the right word." Gilbert replied thoughtfully.

Anne's eyes rolled "See, Diana, that is what boys know of romance."

Gilbert chuckled "I rather liked the social class divide aspect to the story more, it was more appealing and realistic. The romance was generic, the divide was real. Hardly surprising considering Bronte's own life."

Anne swallowed wordlessly and looked annoyed at Gilbert before he shrugged. "Thank you for letting us retrieve our ball." He called over as Fred re-joined them. Before Diana could look back towards Anne her head was back in the book.

* * *

 _Once in a big city lived a man. His name Horacio. Tall, dashing and wicked, for he had a secret. A one, which was shameful to everyone else, though he knew it should be shameful, it most certainly wasn't to him. On the outward appearance he was a happily married man, with two children and a devoted wife. But his secret, dark and hidden, was that he had a mistress he loved more then all of them..._

"Diana!" Her mother tried to get her out of her gaze, "Diana!" she tried now snapping her fingers in front of her daughters face.

"Ummm." Diana sounded before her eyes focused and she looked at her mother. "Yes, Mother?" she asked.

Mrs Barry smiled "Penny for your thought?" she asked.

"Oh I was just thinking of the novel Anne and I were reading today in recess, it was awfully romantic." She sighed.

"Romantic?" Mrs Barry asked worried about what Anne had put into Diana's head already.

"Jane Eyre, mamma." She sighed "don't you think its romantic?" she asked.

"I read it," Her mother nodded "I suppose it is."

Diana smiled and asked her "How did you meet papa?"

Mrs Barry looked curiously at Diana before she admitted "We met at a hayride Avonlea hosted, I was wearing a light blue dress and he had red currant wine which he spilled all down my new blue dress."

Diana looked vexed "Well that's not very romantic."

"No," She shrugged "I don't suppose it is." She paused for a moment before she said "but you know what is?" she asked her daughter who shook her head confused "Have you ever known your father to shout in anger? Or unfairly judge another? Has he ever hit us or not provided for us?"

Diana looked wide eyed in shock.

"You know men like that exist don't you?" she asked Diana. "And do those things in the name of love?" Diana sat silently taking the words of her mother in. "Although there is a little room in everyone's life for romance, I'd never deny you that." She said softer still. "When he holds the door open for you, or he invites you to dance, when he smiles at you across the room or considers you first." Her mother sighed "its why Diana, I don't like you reading so much, they have love, all mixed up."

With this her father came in the room. "How are my beautiful girls today?" he asked them before he kissed his wife on the cheek and came and kissed into Diana's hair.

"How are the fields?" Mrs Barry asked him.

"The ditch at the bottom of the field is finally not flooded in water." He said practically. "Winter I believe is over, we are well and truly in spring."

"We sat outside for lunch today." Diana nodded.

"A picnic." He said with a smile "How quaint."

"Diana was reading with Anne again." The annoyance in Mrs Barry's voice evident enough for her husband to say

"Nothing wrong with a young lady having a hobby is there sweetheart?" he asked her. "I remember you were avid birdwatcher before your domestic duties took a hold." He said, Diana smiled and straighten her back.

"Bird watching didn't interfere with my domestic training." She tried.

"And neither does my reading mama, have I ever not came to your lesson?" she asked her mother carefully.

Her mother sighed "I don't suppose you have." She said finally sitting herself from serving the meal.

"And anyway it give her more to talk about with potential beaux." Her father said with a smile "You wouldn't want to be uninteresting to talk to." Her father grinned at her.

"But once she's married, her husbands opinions should be her own." Her mother said firmly scooping the carrots onto her plate.

"Yes of course dear." Mr Barry grinned at her daughter with a wink to her.

* * *

 _The love of his life was in a women Emilia. She was unearthly beautiful, like an angel sent from above. She had beautiful blue eyes and long brown hair. But they could never really be together._

 _"Please be with me." She 'd asked of him._

 _"I can not." He breathed. "I am expected home."_

 _"Then leave her, leave it all behind, come to me, we'd be happy." She told him._

 _"We are happy." He told her. "But we can not be together."_

"Anne, I don't mind you having your head in a book but you need to come up for the dinner table." Marilla tutted as she placed some food in front of Anne who had been reading at the table.

"Sorry Marilla." She said sincerely. "I just can't out it down, there's something about The Green Knight which is just so thrilling!"

Marilla rolled her eyes, "as long as it doesn't interfere with your chores." He said "Speaking of which..." she said indicating to follow her.

Anne smiled and nodded her head standing up from the place at the table following her back into the kitchen "The chicken eggs are collected and in the pantry, the hay is bailed..." Anne picked up the peas and potatoes before they turned back round to go back to the kitchen "...I brought in the clothes and folded them, I've completed my school work, even if it is geometry." She said with a heavy sigh which made Marilla chuckle as they went back into the dining room.

"Was school hard today?" she asked.

"No, not exactly hard, we had science this morning where we wrote about the electric light, although Mr Phillips didn't have the imagination to show one, although I have seen one, well in passing, but it lit the whole room Marilla, isn't that amazing?" she asked.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Marilla asked her shocked.

"Its quite simple once you know what's in there." Anne said practically as they went back through to the kitchen, Anne picking up the plates. "There's a patent for the electric lightbulb you know, held by some Canadians in Toronto, Woodward and Evans. Mr Phillips didn't see that we snuck a look at the Queen's book he reserves for Prissy, although when we were doing science they were at the back doing Maths, I don't know how she's working towards Queen's Marilla her geometry is worse then mine!" Anne exclaimed.

"There's hope for you yet then." Marilla said practically as they say. "You said you snuck a look at the book?"

"Well not me exactly, Gil- I mean one of the boys swiped it from the back of the classroom, the work set was easy enough and we were finished what was assigned, so the boys passed the book over under the table when they saw I was finished copying the passage too. Its in there we learned about the newest patent."

"And what did your black market education teach you?" Marilla asked amused.

" They built their lamps with different sizes and shapes of carbon rods held between electrodes in glass cylinders filled with nitrogen." Anne explained.

"Nitrogen?" Marilla asked.

"Its a sensible choice, its not as reactive as a lot of other gases, meaning the light can last longer in the blub as its not exposed to oxygen." Anne said.

"I see." Marilla smiled. "And one of the boys passed you this book?"

"Yes." Anne confirmed "Gil- I mean they could see I was finished." Anne concluded "it's only fair that once they were finished with the book they passed it to me."

It was then Matthew entered the room.

"I moved those bags of flour for you Marilla." Matthew said quietly sitting down.

Marilla nodded "Thank you Matthew." She said shortly but gently. "That's very considerate." Which made him shrug shyly.

Marilla looked at the small portion of food Anne had plated and asked her "Are you planning on running on empty?" she asked.

Anne rolled her eyes took the serving spoon and put another scoop of vegetables on her plate.

* * *

 _"I can't believe you'd cheat on me!" He wife screamed. "How could you be with her and me at the same time!" she exclaimed._

 _Horatio_ _only partly repented. He knew being in love with another women was wrong but he still loved Emilia. "what can I do to make it up to you?" He asked her._

 _"You must kill her." His heartless wife crowed._

"...Mamma said that love and romance are two different things, or if she didn't say it she at last implied it." Diana said tentively as they walked through the gate to the school together.

"I don't mean any disrespect but I highly doubt romance could be found in little old Avonlea, as dear as it is it just doesn't work like that..." Anne spouted as they approached the doors unseen to Anne as she was taking so much Fred Wright jumped up and held the door open for them. Diana paused in thought watching as Anne went through the door without thinking of how it was open. Fred looked at Diana, smiling shyly at her their eyes making contact with each other for the first time. Diana felt her cheeks burn as her eyes diverted to the ground, walking past him she thanked him quietly before she looked up again and a small smile peaked from her lips. "...don't you think?" Anne asked as she approached the pegs, hanging her coat on her peg.

"Only time will tell I suppose."

* * *

 _"...Horacio in the throws of passion rage plunged a danger into Emilia's heart. The action in an instant turned her body cold as she dropped to the floor_

 _"Oh my love..." he said in dark tones "If only you were mine to love." He told her._

 _"Not in life, but in death." She croaked as she took her final breath."_

Diana looked up at her fellow writers and smiled. "Well, what do you think?"

"Oh its thrilling!" Ruby exclaimed.

"It's a little far fetched." Jane said practically.

"Oh no I don't think so." Ruby told her. "My sister says once you have a beau you would rather die then be without him." She squeaked merrily. "Wouldn't it be romantic to die for love?"

"Like Romeo and Juliet." Anne added.

"I don't see what's romantic about them either." Jane said plainly.

"Well I suppose its not Shakespeare we're critiquing tonight." Anne smiled. "But Diana."

Jane sighed "As ridiculous as the plot was it was well structured." Jane said practically. "But sometimes your dialogue obscures the story."

Diana huffed. "I don't understand."

"Well I think what Jane means to say is, you could maybe describe the surroundings a bit more, are they inside outside, is it cold or hot, dark or light, it adds to the atmosphere of the story." Anne said practically. "I do agree with Ruby it would be romantic to die for love." She said with a smile to Diana who smiled at the compliment. "Ruby I do believe it is your turn." Anne introduced.

"Mine is called 'Loving you'." She said with a blush. _"Wilburn, the most handsome boy in school had brown hair and hazel eyes..."_

Anne looked to Diana and Jane who both looked back knowingly as Anne rolled her eyes.


	3. Ruby

**Greetings all!**

 **I'm sorry this is coming in so late! If its any consolation I have a 2 and a half year old who is into everything, every second is filled with making sure he's not in something, he's also quite tall (I've seen some 4 year olds the same height as him) meaning putting stuff up a height doesn't always stop him, but I started a new routine with him this week which he seems to be responding to really well! its a delicate balance of letting him watch the TV or play on the floor never both and if hes watching the TV he's in his high chair and its his programmes. If he's on the floor its my programmes meaning I get to play with him then too because really its about not having it all about him all the time rather then my programmes, and I get to play with him, sometimes its off all together and we're just playing together, it means there's times we're focused just on being us, there's time he's away playing and I don't mind watching out for him because I've had the time he's been in the highchair not to have my eyes peeled to him the whole time! Still potty training, so its all a little fun and games but yes, the new routine means I've had a few minutes to sit and write!**

 **Thanks very much for your kind words. someone said its a surprise Anne acknowledges him. Yes, but no. I know in my school it was hard to ignore someone if you weren't too happy with them and Avonlea school was much smaller then even my school was! In my mind they would have to have talked every once in a while but her hostility was constant during those early years and yes, she may slip, because we all do and then we correct ourselves!**

 **Thanks for your kind reviews and as always feel free to leave comment!**

 **love**

 **Carrots x**

* * *

Ruby was in a happy disposition in life.

She was quite confident in her assertion that she was by far the prettiest girl in Avonlea. That wasn't to be mean to other people, because she wasn't mean, it wasn't to be vain either, more of an observation.

She supposed if you preferred the dark hair and eyes look, Diana Barry could be equally as pretty, and she had far more curves then she did. But then, the current fashions were for a lighter look and she was in the happy disposition to achieve a lighter look, Diana because of her darker natural complexion had a harder time maintaining the look.

But then you could go too far the other way. You could be too pale. Although Anne, was blessed with skin very pale, if she stayed in the sun for a long time she burned and the pink red look wasn't kind on anyone, let alone a red head. Her poor face would be redder then her hair! Anne was smart and friendly, but bless her soul, her hair was very _very_ red!

Not that she was fixated on looks. She heard in church not to be vain, that it was a sin. But she did have an interest in remaining pretty.

If she was ever going to win over Gilbert Blythe one day, she would need to remain pretty.

* * *

 _Once there was a boy, he was talk dark and handsome. He was so strong and silent until one day he met a beautiful girl with long blond hair._

"Why does he not pay attention to me?!" She whined one day her skirts and petticoats spiralling around her as she sat on chair when she came in. "When I'm so pretty already!"

Her mother looked to her sharply "Don't slouch Ruby, it'll ruin your figure."

Ruby repented quickly sitting straight on the chair.

"If you slouch its no wonder he doesn't look at you, whoever he is."

A small smile appeared at her lips "Gilbert." She sighed. "Don't you think he's handsome mamma?"

Mrs Gillis looked at her youngest daughter. "You mean John Blythe's son?"

"Yes." Ruby nodded.

"He is that, but he's two years older then you Ruby, you'll be a little girl to him." Her mother sympathised with her daughter.

"Why?!" She cried again. "I'm the prettiest, aren't I mother? With all the girls around my age!"

"Well, yes, you are Ruby, but you're also not finished yet." Her mother tried practically.

"Finished?" Ruby questioned.

"You're not a women yet."

Ruby sighed. She knew what this meant, with four older sister, it meant her womanly time of the month hadn't started. She was 13 now, it wasn't unusual to be waiting for her time of the month to start, but it was the first sign of her becoming a women.

"I want to wear long skirts." She sighs sitting up.

"No." Mother says firmly. "You aren't old enough yet."

She slouched again before her mother cleared her throat to which she received a glare from her mother before she sat up straight again. "It's not fair!" her arms crossing.

"What's not fair?" Her sister Minnie came into the room.

"That Ruby isn't a women yet." Her mother told her older sister.

Minnie smiled sitting with her needlework in front of her starting her cross stitch.

"You wouldn't understand!" Ruby said dramatically. "You're courting!"

"Who do you want to court?" Minnie asked her.

"Gilbert-" her mother started.

"Don't tell her!" Ruby objected.

"Why not?" Her mother asked.

"Because she'll tease me with Helen!" Ruby objected.

"Its nothing Susan didn't do with me!" Minnie joked.

Ruby stood from her chair and stomped her foot. "None of you understand the poison chalice of being the youngest!"

"The poison... where did you learn that phrase?!" her mother asked.

"Anne taught us it!" Ruby exclaimed. "Its not fair, all my sisters have started their real lives!" Susan is married, Minnie is courting, Helen and Emma both get to go to balls and wear their hair up!"

"Helen and Emma are sixteen!" Her mother said.

"And I eighteen." Minnie said quietly.

"And you all, ALL get to have fun! I want to be a grown up!" Ruby exclaimed running out the room and stomping up the stairs.

It was a couple of minutes later a softly spoken sister came and stroked her back. "Leave me alone!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I won't lie to you." Minnie said quietly "its nice being eighteen and courting." She told her.

"If this is meant to make me feel better..."

"But in order to be eighteen, I needed to be thirteen first." She said "and it was nice being 13." She told her "playing with my friends, and dolls, my first crushes, trying to explore how to become a beau." She told her.

Ruby turned over and sat up "You like being a little girl?" she asked her sister.

"It was good." She nodded, "and you get to know what you like and don't like at your age?" she said. "So, Gilbert Blythe?" she smiled at her sister "Well he's three years younger then me 2 years older then you pretty much half way between us." She nodded "not bad, not bad at all!" she smiled.

"I know!" Ruby exclaimed "Isn't he handsome?"

Minnie smiled "he is that." She nodded. "A farmer?"

"Perfectly respectable position in life." Ruby nodded.

"You'll never go without, the only reason the Blythe farm struggled was because Gilbert's dad was so ill."

"Oh, but it shows a strong institution, doesn't it?" Ruby asked. "His father is strong and healthy now."

"And he's not noticed you yet?" she asked. "Well how about wearing your hair almost up?" She asked Ruby.

"Almost up?" Ruby squealed.

* * *

The next day at school Ruby wore her 'almost up' hair style. Her hair had gone from a half up half down with a pretty bow in her hair to a full school plait down her back. Her chest puffed proudly as she walked down the path to the school, she could see everyone admiring her.

"Ruby!" Josie Pye waved at her beckoning her to the girls. Ruby smiled and went to stand with Josie, Jane, Diana and Anne.

"Oh Ruby!" Diana admired. "I wish I had the patience." Her own hair with a simple ribbon in it.

"You'll have to teach us all how to do it." Anne admitted, which made Ruby smile, Anne was so far ahead of her academically, it was nice to be ahead of her in something.

"With pleasure." Ruby said kindly "I bet your hair would plait forever!" she said trying to find a way of complimenting Anne on her looks, she had a pretty nose and a little pointed chin and the length and thickness of Anne's hair was very nice.

"It does look nice Ruby, but I don't know why you're all acting like its a big deal to plait your hair, anyone can do it."

As she finished her sentence the school bell rang and they all piled into the cloakroom and then the classroom. Ruby sat next to Josie with Diana and Anne directly behind them, Ruby had to turn to watch the boys come in the classroom.

"Ladies." Charlie said with the tip of the hat as he greeted them, His seat across the aisle from Anne and Diana, He slid across plank before Gilbert came in from behind.

"Diana, Josie." He greeted before his eyes fell in Ruby as he sat. "Changed your hair?" He asked her.

She nodded enthusiastically. "its a fishtail school plait."

Gilbert smirked "seems a shame to call something so pretty a 'fish'."

If Ruby was paying closer attention she would have noticed the corners of Anne's lips upturn slightly at Gilbert's words, however Gilbert was acutely aware of it.

"Thank you Gilbert." Ruby replied to him genuinely blushing slightly.

"Miss Shirley." He said with a grin to her, unseen to Ruby Anne's face fell from being caught out by Gilbert, her face turning serious from the smile which had bee playing on her lips, something which only seemed to delight Gilbert even more.

* * *

 _You're the most beautiful creature I ever met." He whispered to her. His strong muscles from the farmers field bulging under his shirt._

 _"Oh you're so handsome Dilbert!" she exclaimed his hands sweeping through her hair._

 _"Oh Pearl!" he exclaimed "I never knew love until I knew you."_

Ruby walked in that night ready to tell her sister of her victory when she heard her sobbing from the landing.

"Oh mamma, what if he doesn't love me?!" Minnie cried.

"He does." Her mother said rubbing her sisters back. "It was just a tiff." Her mother told her.

"What if I'm alone forever and I die an old maid! Oh nothing could be worse!"

As it turns out it was just a lovers tiff, it didn't matter in the end, but those two sentences stayed with Ruby 'What if I'm alone forever and I die an old maid! Oh nothing could be worse'.

Oh no!

Nothing could be worse!

 _"...So in the bonds of matrimony they made love in the deep sunset."_

Anne tried to hold back a smile while Jane openly rolled her eyes, it seemed as though Diana didn't even bother trying stopping her giggles.

"That was, um..." Anne started.

"Do all of your characters make love in the end?" Jane asked her.

"Well yes! Its only a natural progress." Ruby said quietly.

"And all your men, are they all tall dark and handsome?" Anne asked her.

"And rhymes with Gilbert?" Diana asked.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about boys we know here!" Anne said firmly.

"I was only asking." Diana said lowly.

"It is a huge coincidence." Anne said looking up at Ruby.

"it is, isn't it?" Ruby said acting surprised, "I can't say I noticed." To which no one was fully convinced of.

"Maybe if, they didn't always make love though Ruby." Anne agreed with Jane finally.

"But that's a love story, that's what happens isn't it?" Ruby asked.

"Well yes, I suppose they do." Anne said logically.

"Well why can't me and..." she tipped realising her mistake blushed "my characters I mean."

"Well how about you still make it romantic but not describe it 'making love'." Anne said. "Try finding words which mean the same thing but say it differently."

"Only if they don't die old maids." Ruby ended. "It would be a fate worse then death!" she exclaimed at the dubious looks on her friends faces.

"You shouldn't be so morbid." Jane tutted.

"And with that our next meeting will be next week." Anne said with a knowing smile to Jane. "Same place and time."

"Meeting adjourned." Diana said bringing down her gabble she had borrowed from her fathers study.

"I'm really having fun Anne." Ruby said sweetly to her, truth was she was, her imagination wasn't as wide open as Anne's but she really loved to write her stories.

"I'm glad." Anne said with a smile to her.

"I swear this week Anne, my story will be completely different!" Ruby exclaimed leaving the hut with Jane.

"I'm have ever confidence you will _try_." Anne said to the empty space left behind.

"I think she imagines being with-" Diana started.

"Utterly incomprehensible!" Anne exclaimed not allowing Diana to end the sentence, the idea of Ruby being with _that_ boy made her stomach turn in the most unpleasant way. "Besides-" she continued correcting the course of the conversation "We're far too _young_ to be considering romantic partners."

Diana nodded "I agree." She said genuinely "although I do hope my husband will be handsome." She told Anne as they exited the hut.

"Oh he will be!" Anne exclaimed with a smile to Diana as they went by way of lovers lane home, the girls chattered until they came to the bottom of the lane where their conversation was abruptly stopped by the appearance of a tall, roguish, curly haired Gilbert Blythe.

"Evening ladies." He said by way of greeting.

"Hello Gilbert." Diana said sweetly as Anne remained silent beside her.

"Where are you off to this time of evening?" he asked them concerned. "Do you need me to accompany you there?" he asked them.

"Oh no, thank you Gilbert." Diana said. "We're just on our way home from..." to which Anne gave her a small nudge Gilbert did not ignore. "...playing with Ruby and Jane." She finished before Anne and Diana looked at each other "happy?" Diana asked her.

"With paper?" Gilbert asked them seeing the paper tucked under Diana's arms.

"Oh you know us girls," Diana tried terribly at lying, Gilbert could see it and so could Anne. "... we just love to draw and plan."

"On paper?" he asked "rather expensive way of drawing." He observed clearly not convinced.

"Or um well, yes it is but... well you know Ruby, spending money!" she tried to which Anne closed her head narrowly missing shaking her head, which would have given the game away completely had Gilbert not already have been sceptical.

Gilbert looked back and forth from the pair. "I see." He said still not convinced by the pair. "So there is a short gap between Green Gables and Orchard's slope, are you sure you don't need assistance?" he asked again, genuinely concerned for their safety.

"No," Diana blushed kindly "Thank you for the concern we'll be back well before sundown." Diana explained "Mother and Marilla know what time to expect us, and its visible from just round the corner for both of us."

Gilbert smiled and nodded. "As you wish." He said to them. "Evening Diana." He said to her then with the tip of the hat "Anne." Before he excused himself up the lane.

Anne glared at Diana. "I was only being polite!" Diana exclaimed to her.

"You don't need to be polite in such company as that!" Anne told her.

"In what way was Gilbert not polite just then?" Diana asked her.

"His past behaviours determined his character long before now!" Anne exclaimed. "And anyway did you not see how he tipped his hat?" Anne asked Diana, the way Anne's eyes had met his momentarily as he tipped it made Anne very uncomfortable. "I'm sure he was taunting us." Anne told her drawing the only logical conclusion she knew.

Diana rolled her eyes. "I'm sure." Diana said. "Let's not let the encounter sour our evening, it has been a wonderful evening."

"It has." Anne agreed quickly "sweetest Diana," she said "I'm sorry, I know its not in your nature to be rude to people, even if it is _him_." As they came to the gate which they said farewell. "Maybe one day I'll learn to be as kind as you."

Diana smiled "Goodnight dearest." She told her.

"May your dreams be sweet kindred." Anne said and with a kiss to the cheek and a hug the two girls parted.

Unseen to them Gilbert poked his head round the corner and went to the gate at the top of the alley, he watched as Anne arrived at Green Gables gate, making sure of her safety. He smiled watching her as she drifted down the alley.

"Good Night impossible girl." He smiled. "May your dreams fulfil you in ways life just can't."


	4. Gilbert

**You know everyone, I just wanted to thank you all, and I'm going to say it on my AOGG one too, I am so grateful for everyone still following and still commenting still reading, because you know I've been and will probably continue to be a little sporadic in posting, but I am writing and still posting, I promise I am trying to fins time!**

 **love**

 **Carrots**

* * *

Gilbert knew a few things to be true in life. One of them was that patience would win the day. So he was glad when his patience that late afternoon had paid off as he watched Anne and Diana walk below him as he sat in the tree they were blissfully unaware of his presence. He knew his instinct the week before was right, they had been walking back from something in particular and now he was going to find out what. When they were at a safe distance Gilbert jumped from the tree and started walking behind them, trying to go unnoticed.

"...then I found the whole hive of bees!" Anne exclaimed to Diana, whose eyes looked wide at her friend in shock.

"Isn't that dangerous?" She asked her.

"Oh Bees only sting if they think of you as a threat, its a flight or die instinct." Anne said as a matter of fact which made Gilbert smile loosing his concentration for a moment a twig snapped beneath his foot, He thought quick and jumped behind a close by tree hiding behind its stout root just in time for the girls turn looking behind them at the sound the twig had made. Upon seeing no one to two continued down into the woods which brought a knit to Gilbert's brow. He turned behind the tree so he wouldn't be seen if they did look behind them, then followed quickly and quietly down the woods in the cover of the trees rather then risking walking down the pathway.

"Don't you think the hive is the most fascinating thing?" Anne asked, as he got within hearing distance again, "I wonder why they hive in a hexagon, why not circles or squares, or triangles?" Anne wondered to her.

Gilbert smiled with pride at the question. It was an interesting one, he would surely be able to share insight into the question, even if he didn't know the answer. Maybe it had to do with protecting the Queen bee?" Maybe it was to do with their flight abilities, or gravity? Funnily enough, triangles were often thought to be the strongest shape, you could make several shapes of triangle within the hexagon? Infact drawing inside of it...

Anne let out a shriek of delight which snapped Gilbert out of his own thoughts. "Oh Diana!" she thrilled "Look!" she suddenly swept down smelling in the scent of the cornflowers. "Oh how beautiful you all are!" Anne spoke to them, Gilbert looking at amazement at her outburst. 'Yes,' he thought 'flowers are very beautiful, but do you need to...'

"Oh Diana! Come drink them in." Anne told her friend.

Gilbert could see Diana hesitate for a moment, her enthusiasm lacked next to her friend but still she put down the satchel she was carrying and smelt the small wild flowers. "You're right they are lovely." Diana said calmly.

"Oh they are wonderful!" Anne exclaimed "You are all so beautiful!" she told the flowers again "and you live just once, I want you to know you live well!" she told them.

This took Gilbert's breath, a catch of compassion clenched at his heart.

These flowers would live once, and only once, for a short amount of time they fulfil their lives, often ignored and not appreciated.

But she was.

She was wonderful for it.

He smiled watching her as she continued "Did you know In folklore, cornflowers were worn by young men in love; if the flower faded too quickly, it was taken as a sign that the man's love was not returned, isn't that romantic?!" she exclaimed to Diana. She turned again to the flowers "I'm going to pick you if that's okay?" she asked them. "I want to remember it and write a story of a young mans love." She smiled picking some.

"Should I gather some too?" Diana asked her "Wouldn't they look lovely on the table in the story club house?" she asked Anne.

Gilbert looked confused at the term. 'Story club house?' he wondered.

"If I take them home we can dry them out for next week and we can keep them as a more permanent decoration."

"That's a wonderful idea Diana!" Anne exclaimed. "A reminder of their inspiration." She said with a smile.

They gathered the flowers for a few moments before Diana said practically "Come on Anne, we're going to be late."

When the girls has got up Gilbert made his way down to the cornflowers and looked down at them. He smiled picking one and smelling it for a moment. He tucked it in a pocket before whispering to it "Don't fade on me too quickly okay buddy?" he asked of it then followed in the girls footsteps.

Delighted he saw them enter into a shack in the woods which confused him for a moment, as he got closer he realised there wasn't just Anne and Diana in the shack.

"...they are very pretty." He heard Ruby's voice.

"I suppose it is necessary for decoration." He gain heard Jane's voice.

"Well it does lack in imagination. "Anne said in reply "it can't be productive to writing if a room has no imagination." She exclaimed which made Gilbert smile, he liked the idea of a room having an imagination.

"Well, we should get started." Jane again could be heard.

'Started?' he wondered.

He heard some movement within the shack before Diana could be heard "On this Tuesday April 9th 1878 is the 5th meeting of the Story club. All in attendance," she observed "did we all complete our stories?" she asked.

"Aye." Anne was heard.

"Aye." Jane confirmed.  
"Aye." Ruby squeaked.

"Aye." Diana confirmed her own. "We all had our round of being first so I suppose it is back to our presidents turn to go first." She said. "Anne?"

Gilbert grinned. 'Yes, it would make sense for Anne to be behind all of this.' He smiled. He then decided if the girls were talking stories he might as well make himself comfortable. An old tree stump which was cut down sat next to him he sat down to listen, he thought this was much more entertaining then watching whether or not Maisy one of their Jersey Cows would give birth, AGAIN. He knew his father's dates were off, the calf wasn't due for at least another 12 days.

"My story is called a knight and gallin's song." She started.

 _Once there was a brave knight. If he had been in King Arthur's court he would have been likened to the Brave Lancelot the greatest jouster and swordsman of the kingdom, his name was Sir Galinn. When not in battle or serving in the Kings court, you could very easily find Sir Galinn the brave on horseback. He would ride to the forest two miles south west of the castle where the nightingale could be heard at the twilight hour of eve._

 _The other knights would marvel at this, the bravest and greatest riding to the forest on the evening, why would he do such a thing?_

 _Before becoming a knight a young sixteen year old boy tall and lean had found his one true love. She was beautiful with lushes of dark tresses and starry twinkling eyes, the boy had intended to ask the girls hand in marriage, he had a decent life, he was of noble blood, but when the young man had gone to ask the girls windowed mother, he discovered the girls mother was a enchantress, who cast a spell on the girl._

 _Each night at the sound of the nightingales call the boy would recall his grief, he would see in the woods his beautiful bride to be, frozen in time. Each night the girl would awake singing her eternal song with the nightingale and each night the boy grew older in age the girl remained forever in beauty in a spell cast. Only to be released when the boy was truly worthy of the girls love._

 _So, the boy, being noble in blood joined the kings guard to become a knight, working his way to being the man everyone knew today as the bravest knight, Sir Galinn. He would come back in the hope that his last act of bravery would be enough to break the spell that he might be with his beloved not only at twilight but forever together._

 _As they years passed Sir Galinn became more and more gallant, brave and strong, but still his bride remained out of reach. So each night the knight would come and listen to her song in the hope that one day the spell would be broken._

 _As they years continued the king noticed the behaviour of his once bravest and strongest knight. He had became distracted, aloof and contained in his own mind. The king worried of a madness taking over his knight and was saddened as the years past the old man would be seen pacing the castle muttering under his breath of his chance was still to come, he could still be worthy._

 _The king released Sir Galinn of his bounds to the king honourably with a comfortable home and life._

 _The knight now middle age still pined for his childhood sweetheart, so every day took his lone pilgrimage towards the woods._

 _Finally one day, his sweethearts mother appears to him._

 _"Have I finally done enough to win her love?" he asked the mother._

 _"No." The women stated._

 _"I don't understand." Sir Galinn objected. "I am the bravest the best of all the knights, why do you still deny me my love?" he asked "Do you not know who I am?"_

 _The women nodded "I do indeed know who you are, and had you done all you had done for gallantry, for king and country you may have done enough."_

 _"But they are the same actions!" The knight exclaimed._

 _"But not done for the same intent. It was the intentions of the heart I was looking for." And with it she melted away._

 _The knight was now wailing with the nightingales and for the first time lived up to his name, and there he died in the gales of nature._

Gilbert paused in reverence. The story was certainly well researched. He loved the play on the nightingales song being known for lament. That the knight joined their song. Indeed it was in his very name Knight Galinn. Some argued the Nightingale itself got its name from the same root as a Galinn, meaning frenzied insane or frantic. That 'gale' as in the wind was the whining of the insane. It was clever the clues were there in the name that his love would drive him insane.

"Thats rather sobering." Jane commented.

Gilbert listened for the other girls' reactions.

"So he died? He didn't get to be with her at all?" Ruby asked.

"Thats not very romantic." Diana said, obviously disappointed with the outcome.

"But it is!" Anne exclaimed clearly confused by their reaction. "Wouldn't it be romantic to die for the person you love? To spend your life trying to break the spell over them?" she asked them.

There was a deafening silence. Gilbert felt he ought to object to take her side.

That although it was sobering, and a little depressing that the pair had not ended up together, the story was much more then just the end. How carefully she had picked her bird, how exact the etymology of his name! Did they not see it.

"Well it was a romance much as the Lady of Shallot." Jane tried, grasping at the comparison "and no one ever said Tennyson wasn't romantic."

Gilbert took a sigh of relief. He'd have to remember to be extra kind to Jane tomorrow.

"And I loved the story." Diana was heard to say, unseen to Gilbert she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Had they only kissed, it would have been terribly romantic!" Ruby added.

Anne sounded a little deflated "but sometimes romances amount to nought, they're unrequited, not every romance ends in a happily ever after, but its still a romance!"

"Well I think the story is a good one." Jane said practically.

"And I loved the magic." Diana gushed, then after a little silence she was heard to say "I think it is Ruby's turn next."

Gilbert heard some shuffling in the shack before he heard Ruby's voice start "A knight in shining armour. My story begins in ancient ancient Roma..." she started unseen to Gilbert the other three girls looked up surprised at her, surely she couldn't' relate back a story of ancient Rome and still include Gilbert "...to a brave knight, Sir _Wilbur_..." She emphasised the name as if to say to the other girls it wasn't Gilbert, though the boy himself didn't quite understand why there was any emphasis on his name. "See I told you it didn't have to be about Gil-"

"We agreed no discussion of boys in our meetings!" Anne announced which made Gilbert's bottom lip protrude his head nod.

His mind soon wandered, Ruby's story was unlikely her heroine was blond haired and blue eyed, an unlikely combination in Rome, and the knight was just as dull, only after the blond haired girl. Diana's was more like a knight in a battlefield, rather then a romance, she killed almost every character and Jane's was well written but lacked any passion in her writing. From what he could tell they all had the same theme, knights and they seemed to be sharing notes, giving feedback both positive and negative and they didn't seem to be taking it as little girls did, they seemed to be able to take on the feedback.

"Next week," Anne said when it came to an end "I want us to take inspiration from these." She said, again unseen to Gilbert Anne picked up the flowers and handed each girl a single cornflower.

"Meeting adjourned." Diana said.

With that said Gilbert knew he had to hide quick, he quickly posed himself on the path running up it before he quickly turned back round and casually walked down it.

All four girls seemed surprised as they encounter him moments later just outside the shack.

"Evening ladies." He said with a smile to each girl. "How are you all this fine evening?" he asked them.

"Oh we're well thank you Wil-" she blushed a tone while both Diana and Anne giggled and Anne listened to Diana, Gilbert tried to keep a straight face, wondering why Ruby might base a character on him "I mean Gilbert. We were just..." she started before Anne interrupted.

"Playing!" she exclaimed "Playing together."

Gilbert smirked his suspicions were confirmed he nodded "with paper again." He observed. "Ruby, your family must be richer then I realised." He said. Ruby looked at him perplexed, Jane looked back and forward from Gilbert to Anne and Diana, the former of which eyes closed cringing and Diana looked so worried she looked as though she might take flight. "Well who am I to judge, I do like books after all."

"Where are you off to this evening?" Jane asked confused by the interaction and wanted some sense.

"I often take a walk on an evening." He admitted, this being true. "You met me last week remember?" he directed at Anne and Diana "I don't always take the same route." He said "Is there any reason why I shouldn't walk this way at this time?" he asked them.

"Actually..." Diana started.

"No!" Anne insisted. "No of course not Mr Blythe, good day to you." She said with a smile curtsy the other girls following each bidding him goodbye as they walked past.

Gilbert decided not to make a liar out of himself. He did go for a walk that evening, He took a break by Barry's Pond sitting on a boulder close to the shore of the pond. He looked out over the reflecting water. He thought he had learned more about Anne tonight then he had the last just over year and a half, he took out the cornflower an smiled.

Her imagination was even bigger then he thought in class, and it had been big in school! Those beautiful little flowers, so like her, so undiscovered, unappreciated by the world, yet when discovered, beautiful, inspiring and a whole new world opens to you! He shook his head and smiled, and her writing! He kept forgetting she was only thirteen! Thirteen! He could only imagine where she would be in ten years if she carried on writing like that! Refining was needed but she was smart, it was smart, she knew a story she knew a tragedy, it was almost Shakespearean in theme! Maybe not in content, that could do with maturing! But, he had to admit, he was impressed.

He wasn't ashamed to admit to himself, he wanted to know her some more.


	5. Jane

Jane's pencil turned in her fingers. She was sitting trying to think of a story inspired by Cornflowers.

She shook her head in dismay, her mouth twisted as she tried to think.

How do you write a story based on a flower?

She sighed again as her mother called for her, she left her bedroom and glided gracefully down to the kitchen "Can I help mother?" she asked her.

"Oh thank you Jane." Her mother exclaimed, handing her the potatoes and a knife, where upon Jane started to peel them. "Do you know where your brother has gone?" her mother asked.

"Is he not in the field with papa?" Jane asked in reply.

"No." Her mother sighed. "I only wish my son had as much sense as my daughter." Mrs Andrews said to her daughter kissing her on the side of her forehead as they worked.

"Billy is not very silly, is he mamma?" she asked softly.

"I dare say there are many sillier young men in Avonlea. Why did you know of Fred Wright's plight?" she asked her daughter, to which she shook her head. "Mrs Inglis said he was waiting for a relative to pick him up from the station, only when the relative wasn't there on time he decided to walk, he didn't know the path so go himself lost, gave everyone such a big fright."

Jane sighed "then I would think Fred was scared also." She said to her mother, where there was silence for a moment she said without spite "there are very few sensible boys at school. Fred is one of the nicer ones."

Mrs Andrews almost scoffed but thought better on it "I think you're right dear." She told her daughter with a smile unseen to her daughter. "Though that Gilbert Blythe seems a handsome fellow."

Jane nodded "I can't say I've noticed his looks, though if you think on it..." she said her head going side to side in thought "I suppose you could call him handsome..." she trailed and nodded then looked to her mother "certainly one of the handsomest boys in Avonlea." She said practically. "Although..." she started, but then paused.

"Although?" Mrs Andrews asked her.

"Well its just, Gilbert might be compared to Charlie Sloane in handsomeness, but Gilbert is much more clever then even Charlie, some might find that a longer lasting trait."

"Gilbert is clever?" Her mother asked.

Jane nodded emphatically. " _Very_!" she said. "When he came back to school two years ago he was two years behind anyone else but Anne Shirley, which she really can't be blamed for." Jane informed her practically. "but now they both have caught up to the rest of us, I dare say they would over take us by the end of the year, if only Mr Phillips saw how hard they worked, but I suppose he is engrossed with his Queen's students, I suppose it makes sense that they take up more time."

"But Gilbert is a farmer, there won't be any need for him to get too far ahead, it'll be important he gets an education, we never would want his business to fail, his father has had to work hard since they got back, no doubt his fathers good education helped." Her mother said practically, when her husband came in the door.

"How are your hens Jane?" He asked his daughter putting a cabbage on the counter for his wife.

"They're growing well papa, I think we should have eggs before the year is out. Should we keep some back for reproduction papa?" she asked "that way we will have the chicks, rather then needing to buy them every year."

Mrs Andrews looked darkly at Mr Andrews who seemed to ignore his wife "You'd need to pick them soon Jane, and if they die that would be a wasted chick..."

"Not really we could eat it still." Jane said practically.

"Do you think you can do it Jane?" her father asked her.

"I think so, Anne said the Cuthberts have a book on it for their small holdings, well I say small, they have well over twenty birds. Mr Cuthbert taught Anne how to look after them." Jane told them.

Mr Andrews nodded, "Matthew does well to get the help he needs, even if the girl wasn't the boy they sent for."

"Oh Anne helps more then that." Jane nodded. "I think she feels she has to, with the Cuthbert's taking her in, especially when they didn't have to. Matthew insists on her not working the fields, but she takes care of the hens, she bales the hay, she tenders to the horse she milks the cows and she even has her own jersey cow!" Jane exclaimed.

"So she should." Mrs Andrews said "I always said it was mighty foolish of Marilla Cuthbert to take in an orphan, Anne is perhaps accident prone, clumsy and a little high and mighty for her station, but she at least doesn't seem to want to burn down their house. Its good luck rather then good management."

Jane objected though not unkindly "Anne is kind mamma," she admitted. "I'd rather be kind and above my station then mean in my station."

"There's sense in that indeed." Mr Andrews said. "When will dinner be ready?" he asked.

"About an hour." Mrs Andrews told him.

He nodded. "I'll be in the parlour, reading the paper." He told them as Billy came in the door.

"Where have you been?" Mrs Andrews asked him.

"Town, for potato seed." He grunted sitting at the table behind them. "Jane, do you know the red headed girl who was in town today with Miss Cuthbert?" he asked his sister "she seems around your age."

"Yes." Jane said "I've mentioned her before, her name is Anne."

"Right." He nodded. "Smart?"

Jane looked at her brother quizzically. "As they come."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Why?" his mother asked his accusingly.

"Just saw them that's all." He grunted "just wondering." He shrugged and at seeing the look on his mothers face said "I saw Nettie Blewett and Jane Grant too," he informed her "Might want to marry them too."

With this a satisfied scoff came from Mrs Andrews at his exclamation, she didn't see her boys cheeks flush a little.

* * *

"Can I not?" Jane asked the other girls. "I feel silly reading it outloud."

"How are we ever going to critique it if we don't hear it?" Anne asked her. "I'm sure its not as bad as you think."

Jane sighed, stood and started _"Once there was a girl called Susan. She was smart, kind and funny. She was much admired by the people around her for being good and sweet. Most especially was a boy, hardworking and a genuinely nice boy. His name was James._

 _James wanted to show Susan how lovely she was. He tried many things, he gave her sweet heart candy's and homemade fudge, Although Susan liked these things very much, it didn't mean that he loved her._

 _Until one day, he found some wild cornflowers growing in the fields. He scooped these up in his arms and carried them straight to her._

 _"Will you have me?" he asked her gently. "I promise to take care of you and bring you cornflowers every season."_

 _"Will you take care of me in the meantime?" she asked him._

 _"I am a good hardworking farmer boy, you know I can." He told her._

 _"Then yes." Susan said practically, and they lived happily ever after."_ Jane looked up to the other girls who all sat there their mouths open. "The end." She proclaimed as she sat down.

"So, the flowers won her over?" Anne asked her.

"Well his hard work and common sense did." Jane replied.

"Well why give her flowers at all if all she wanted was his hard work and common sense?" Diana asked her confused.

"Because..." Jane stuttered "it was part of the story."

"He wooed her then." Ruby said delighted. "That's really rather romantic."

"Yes." Jane agreed. "It is romantic."

Diana nodded. "Yes, security is always as such." She paused before she continued "but would it better to maybe describe more about her as a person, him as a person."

It was then the girls heard a snap of the twig from outside.

"Shhhh!" Anne exclaimed suddenly her hands going out in front of her indicating to shush. "What was that?"

"I should go and check." Diana whispered.

"No Diana," Anne whispered after her as she got to the door "What if its a bear!"

Diana scoffed "there are no bears in this wood." Where upon she opened the door.

She stood stunned at the boy sitting at the cut down tree truck her mouth opened as if it say something whereupon his finger went to his lips with a pleading look on his face.

"Please." He mouthed to her.

Diana was clearly confused as she looked at him, his heart beating hard in his chest he was sure the other girls would hear it.

"Is it a bear?" They heard Anne call from inside.

After a seconds paused Diana came to herself "I told you there are no bears in the woods." She reiterated. "It was just a fox." She called in.

"Oh a fox!" Anne exclaimed as they heard her move.

"No," Diana said smiling at Gilbert shaking her head "its gone."

"Thank you." He mouthed where upon she nodded only slightly at him as she shut the door.

"Where were we?" Diana asked as some shuffling was heard from in the shack.

"I was just about to agree with you Diana." Anne nodded. "Description of people of places, of items, it would make it all a little more vivid." She said before she added "Although it is romantic isn't it? To receive flowers?" she asked dreamily.

"Oh yes!" Ruby exclaimed "especially if the boy is handsome!"

Diana's eyes rolled while Anne looked annoyed. "Right," Diana exclaimed "Anne your turn?"

Anne smiled standing holding her sheet up high.

 _"Wild winds push through the air, I feel it pulling at my roots, but I can remain strong, I can withstand the force of nature so hard and cold._

 _I feel glad that I did as the cold turns to spring, its just a matter of days before I stand strong ready to bloom._

 _I see him walking by, Tall strong and silent. He's watching a girl with flowing long hair and I know in that instant I am his flower. The one to show his undying love to his girl._

 _"Yes!" I cry as he picks me from the row._

 _"You are the most colourful." He said with a smile and he puts me in his pocket._

 _I can feel is moving through the country all day then at the end I don't understand how but when I come out of his pocket, there is no air as I felt it outside, it is still and warm not blustery and cool. It does something strange to me which I can not describe, but he puts me in warm and dry room._

 _I can feel the moisture leave my veins, my petals my seeds my stalk and leaves._

 _But I am determined I can not be swayed my colours will remain as strong as they came._

 _He comes and gets me though barely alive, I am glad to sleep, while his love survives._

 _The days and years grow on and on, the man marries his sweetheart and looks to my brows._

 _"Still as bright as the day I picked it." He tells her as she is dressed in white. "I preserved this flower, so the colours would still be bright, as I preserve our love." He tells her._

 _She smiles I'm so perfect as she takes me in hand she presses me to some paper which holds me a bound._

 _She puts me and the bound paper into more papers which she reads, she uses me to mark where she is in the page._

 _Years grow old, I can tell from their faces, the women was a mother, a grandmother before she gives me and the bound paper to a small girl who has her face "the flower represents the love your grandfather has for me." She tells the girl. "The colours will only fade when he stops loving me."_

 _I am proud in that moment I know I've done my work, for I will never fade in colour in the dark pages of paper._

 _I don't see my owners again, I take place in the girls books, she tells others I am the love her grandparents have made._

 _You see I am but a flower a symbol a thing, but love is eternal and never dies or fades."_

Ruby looked amazed at Anne and said "you told it from the flowers point of view." She stated the obvious.

"Yes." Anne smiled. "Did you like it?" she asked the others.

"I never would have thought to tell it from the flowers point of view, oh Anne!" Diana exclaimed "it was beautiful!"

* * *

It wasn't long after the four girls came out the shack.

Anne looked annoyed as Gilbert Blythe came walking down the path again. Diana gave him an incredulous look unseen to Anne. "Here again?" Anne asked him scornfully.

"I could say the same thing." Gilbert smiled. "Since I'm here, could I perhaps walk you home?" he seemily asked the girls.

"No thank you..." Anne started but he interrupted.

"I actually meant Jane and Ruby, they go in the opposite direction to you and Diana was heading out that way anyway." He said giving a smile to Jane and Ruby much to Anne's annoyance.

"Thats very kind Gilbert." Jane accepted.

"Yes, thank you W-I mean F- I mean Gilbert." Ruby stuttered before Gilbert smiled taking one girl on each arm.

"Good evening, Miss Barry, Miss Shirley." He said, with an extra smile to Diana, Anne supposed to simply annoy her by addressing the rest of the group directly and not her (not that it did annoy her) then he walked away with the other two girls.

"You aren't jealous are you?" Diana whispered to Anne once they were out of earshot.

"No of course not, Gil- I mean _that_ person can walk home who he pleases." She said more determined then before "As long as its not me, his help would not be appreciated."


	6. Green Hair

**I know long pauses and I don't like doing it either! Its been a crazy 6 months but today I had some time to myself and this doesn't really happen! But I'm doing my best I'm sorry it's so here there and everywhere**

 **love Carrots x**

* * *

"What do you mean Anne is not here?" Ruby implored. "This is her club!"

"But she's, not very well." Diana tried again with the other girls.

"You can not blame her for not being here if she is ill." Jane said sensibly.

"She was fine at school so where is she?" Ruby demanded again.

"But she has sent her story." Diana objected. "So lets get the meeting started we can choose a new topic for next time when Anne is feeling better."

"You mean this could go on longer then a week!" Ruby exclaimed. "What does she have typhoid."

"There's no need for hysteria." Jane tutted.

"I agree." Diana agreed changing the subject back in hand. "My story today is..."

* * *

"Diana!" She heard from behind her as she walked home alone from the story club.

"Gilbert." Diana smiled. "How are you today?" she asked him waiting for him to catch up to her.

"I'm just fine." Diana smiled sweetly. "And you?"

"Just enjoying the early evening." He said catching up to her.

She chuckled "You do that an awful lot Mr Blythe."

Gilbert smiled "well in a country as beautiful as this..." he trailed.

"Hmmm." Diana sounded as they started to walk together.

"I meant to thank you." He said to her after a pause. "For last week."

She nodded "I'm not accustom to flat out lying to my best friends." She told him.

"So you haven't told them?" he double checked with her.

"What can I tell?" she asked him then after a small pause she asked "have you been doing it long?"

"Couple of weeks." He shrugged.

Diana looked a little surprised but not shocked at the confession. "I suppose you think its silly?" she asked him.

"No!" Gilbert objected quickly "no of course not!" he continued "truly you're all cultivating your imaginations..." he paused for a second and added "some of you need it more then others..." he said with a smile "but the only way to improve it is to cultivate it, I think its admirable you young ladies have taken it upon yourselves for self improvement, especially considering ..." he paused and shook his head.

"Considering?" she probed.

"Well the education we're receiving." He slumped. "But that's mean to Mr Phillips." He muttered at the end.

Diana laughed "Yes Anne, quite agrees with you," Diana told him "She'll never tell you but she does appreciate you sending over the harder work to her too."

"Its not just for her..." he tried.

Where Diana shook her head and scoffed "No, it is very much for Anne." She confided "its not very likely I'll be anything more then a housewife."

Gilbert looked at her concerned "You have further ambitions?"

"Yes... no, I don't know." She said shaking her head "I just don't want to close off any educational doors so to speak."

They walked in silence for a moment before he said "We all deserve to dream Diana, don't be ashamed of ambitions or lack of, just be the best you."

"Thank you." Diana said nodding her head where they went quiet again before she said "I'm sorry we don't get to speak much." She told him.

"Oh that's okay." He said his hands going in his pockets nervously.

"No, it isn't." She told him. "its just, I want to be the best friend I can to Anne, she's awfully nice really Gilbert, and I like her fancy's." She told him.

"As do I." He said to her his head still down looking as the path. "And I know she's nice." He added to her.

"Really?" she asked him "I wouldn't be quite so sure in your circumstance."

He shrugged "I don't know her as well as you do, but I can tell even from the few stories I've heard she's sensitive, her spirit is very close to the surface and I hurt her. I didn't mean to but I did."

She looked at him "You like _her_ stories?" she said with a smile on her face.

He grinned kicking at he dead leaves molten left from the autumn fall. "Yeah, I do, I mean, objectively, they are a little simple, it lacks some of the complexity of a well written author..." he said "but..." he said with a shrug and a smile. "I don't know their real imaginative with a flare of dramatics, which adds up to a real knack for story telling."

She looked at his face "anything else?" she asked with a grin on her own.

He paused on the path for a moment and looked around before he continued "you can tell she has a good grasp on emotions, pleasure, pain, hate, envy, joy and beauty..." he trailed stopped then looked at her "all except..."

"except?" she asked confused.

"Love." He said simply.

Diana looked at him confused "Gilbert, do you hear the same stories as we do?" she asked him "her stories are full of..."

"Romance." He told her "not love." When he got no reply from Diana he asked her "You see it too?"

"Well..." She trailed with a thoughtful trail to her voice "They seem a little like romance in a book, not the love we see everyday." She said but then quickly followed up with "but then I think that is the fault of many an author, not just Anne."

Gilbert nodded, though it was not in full what he meant at least she knew what he was talking about. They walked again silently for a moment before he asked "Is Anne really ill?" Gilbert asked her "she did seem fine at school today."

"Well you know some illnesses come on so quickly that you don't see them coming." Diana tried.

"Come on Di," he said frustrated "that logic might work with the girls but you don't fool me."

She sighed and said "Gil I promised her."

"So its not that she's ill." He asked. "There was something to promise?" he implored.

"Gilbert..."

"Please Di?" he asked.

They looked at each other for a moment, "You must promise, never ever, ever to let Anne know you found out from me Gilbert Blythe, you take it to your grave that you found out from me." She told him.

"Upon my honor!" he said his left hand raised, "I promise never to tell Anne that I know from you."

She sighed deeply "Anne felt it necessary, to purchase some hair dye from the peddler who came through town."

"Hair dye?" Gilbert questioned, "but, why? Marilla..."

"No not, not Marilla."

"Matthew is hardly so vain." Gilbert observed.

"But who is so insecure enough to do so?" Diana asked.

Gilbert paused in thought "You mean Anne?" he asked "but why would she..." he stopped suddenly the horror "No! Why?!" he exclaimed unbelievingly.

"Why, because well..." she trailed and without better description burst "carrots!"

Gilbert's eyes widened before he looked inexplicably sorry.

"Not just you." She reassured him, "just the type you understand." She told him "I know you meant it to get her attention I know. But all of her life she felt as though she has stuck out because of it, she saw it as a way out, to blend in to have the same," she sighed heavily "the same as me."

Gilbert's eyes narrowed "she tried to dye her hair black?!"

"It gets worse!" She exclaimed as he sat on a nearby fallen tree.

"How?" he asked.

"It didn't dye black at all, it turned it green!" she exclaimed "she's been washing it morning and night but she fears they will have to cut it back to the bone!"

Gilbert took a deep breath in, "Oh Anne Shirley!" he exclaimed before he silenced himself as Diana sat beside him "Di." He said quietly. "Why?!" he gasped "I mean I know why, just..." his heart thumped in his chest "why would you try to conceal such a gift!"

Diana nodded "Please Gilbert you must never let her know you know!"

"I won't, I gave you my word." He assured her.

* * *

 _Once upon a time there was a beautiful fair maiden. She was exquisitely beautiful, for miles people knew of her beauty and then once met, her beauty was revered._

 _Her skin was ivory white perfectly unblemished. Her eyes were a starry purple, her long thick black hair always perfect coiffed in the most up to date fashions. She spoke eloquently and sounded as a bird might if it were able to talk, with perfect stillness and sweetness._

 _The girl was so perfect that all who met her loved her._

 _The one day she caught the fever._

 _We know the pains caused in the fever, her skin alight with red as she burned against the fever, her speak slurred and croaked. Her beautiful hair, clump by clump came slowly away from her hair, until she looked no longer the beauty she was but a skinny unwanted and unloved maid._

 _All abandoned her._

 _For she was alone, there was no one around her who understood or who wanted her, and there she died alone and unfulfilled._

Anne wiped her eyes again reading the page as she went. One hand went round to the back of her skinned hair she half crumpled the paper and threw it carelessly out of the window. She watched as it half twirled half rolled in the window.

"Be gone!" she yelled at the paper. "I never wanted you anyway!" then without closing the window she crumpled herself into a heap in front of the window. "Now, no one will ever want me."

* * *

Gilbert walked down the lane which separated Green Gables from the edge of his own property about half an hour later, where he saw at first what looked like a large leaf coming right for his face. He caught it in the wind protecting himself. He scoffed at the paper almost crumpling it completely where upon he saw some ink on the corner he smoothed out the paper to find it half written on. Even in the high wind his curiosity got the better of him, especially since he long recognised the pen name at the top. Anne had clearly started it meaning to share it at their Story Club.

As he read the beginning he smiled at the image, this was the girl Anne wished she could be, he shook his head at her "perfect" language not just "pretty" but "beautiful", not just "admired" but "revered", yes this girl was "perfect in Anne's mind.

His face dropped reading the second half. 'Unwanted', 'unloved', 'abandoned,' 'alone,','skinny' and 'unfulfilled.' His eyes welled before he blinked for a moment taking a deep breath he held the paper in his hand as he continued to walk. He knew the first half was describing who she wished she could be, but the second half, it was deeply felt, then one word caught his eye.

 _Red_

'No!' he thought to himself reading over it again. 'She couldn't possibly be writing about how she perceives herself!' he objected reading it again. He took a deep breath in shock over it as he walked into his house he slammed down the books he was carrying taking a deep breath.

"Is everything okay Gilbert?" his mother asked him.

"Sorry." He said to his mother "Just its really windy out there." He said with his best smile as he past his mother taking the steps two at a time.

He entered his room picking up the heavy old book turning to the back page. He took out the wafer thin brittle flower he had placed in there weeks before. The colour of the flower hadn't faded he smiled at the result as none had leaked out onto the pages they had dried to. He found the hessian cloth a part of an old potato sack his father was ready to put to the fire, a small scrap he saved and had cut it into a bookmark then frayed the edges as he had seen his mother do many times. He had then taken a needle and threat and had outlined the outside edge, by the time he had finished he had a new appreciation for his mother's ability to do the task, she had made it seem so easy (he had pricked himself with the needle every other stitch!). He took the needle in his hand again and sat for a while trying to get the threat through the needle, finally doing it he placed the stitches around the stem of the dried flower tightly knowing it would hold the flower to the cloth.

He looked at the bookmark and smiled. He wished he had the patience to darn her name to the bookmark, maybe one day he would, but for now it was just perfect.


	7. The Lily Maid

I've had this all uploaded and ready to go for the past two weeks! Its just I haven't had time to press the publish button! So I better get this up! Sorry for the long waiting in between one day soon people I will get my act together I will!

* * *

"In the spirit of our last winters topic, I'd like to write about King Arthur, knights in shining armours, Guinevere and the round table!" she sighed excitedly, "Can't you just _feel_ the story!"

"Shall we meet in the summer, we can all play together for inspiration!" Diana suggested.

"Oh Wonderful!" Ruby exclaimed happily.

"I can't think of anything better then spending time with my chums." Jane agreed.

"Oh!" Anne exclaimed. "Oh this is just thrilling!" she said "Ruby you can be the beautiful Guinevere." Anne started planning. "Diana the brave Lancelot, and Jane you maybe Merlin!" she smiled which made the girls laugh.

"And who shall you be Anne?" Ruby asked her. Anne leapt from her seat drawing a stick from the ground as a sword she leapt onto the table. She stood strong "I shall be King Arthur!" he exclaimed. "Come now my brave knights and my beautiful milady!" she acted as they all giggled holding out her hand to Ruby who stood next to her on the ground unsure of the sturdiness of the table. "Let is save Camelot!"

Diana laughed "Abracadabra!" she laughed, before they laughed and made a battle call together, Gilbert barely had time to run up the path and hide behind the big tree which stood at the top.

"Look my knights!" Anne exclaimed "Lets make us daisy chains for our crowns! Anne exclaimed starting picking at the flowers.

"And I a shield of ummm..." Jane started but got stuck that far.

"How about we weave one." Diana exclaimed "we have long thick grass." She suggested. "mine is not all that imaginative as I just have to pick up a stick." Diana giggled as they walked over to the patches of grass.

"Maybe we can weave in some old leaves." Jane suggested.

"I like that." Diana nodded.

Ruby giggled with Anne for a moment as they started on their flower crowns. "Say Anne, do you suppose real princesses have flower crowns?" she asked.

"I think," Anne started not looking away from her flowers as she placed them together... "that nature has its own royalty, and that upon the coronation of a magical creature who can keep the flowers alive the blooms can fulfil their true purpose for all eternity."

Ruby smiled "I wish I had your fancies Anne." She replied to her dreamily. "I know none of us writes like you do..."

"Oh Ruby don't be so hard on yourself!" she exclaimed. "Dearest Ruby can you not see? If you only open your mind past Gil- I mean I certain someone, your mind can expand you can find a whole new world right here!" She exclaimed.

Ruby swallowed making another chain in the flowers, "Can you not imagine he wasn't so bad?" she asked of Anne.

Anne looked to her frustrated "I'll pretend I never heard that."

Ruby only sighed.

* * *

 _His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;_

 _On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;_

 _From underneath his helmet flow'd_

 _His coal-black curls as on he rode,_

 _As he rode down to Camelot._

 _From the bank and from the river_

 _He flash'd into the crystal mirror,_

 _"Tirra lirra," by the river_

 _Sang Sir Lancelot._

Two weeks later, Gilbert cam down from his horse. It was a hot day that day he had decided to take a ride down to the pond. He hummed merrily an old tune he had known since he was a boy. He didn't know what it was about this warm summers day which brought back the old tune to his mind, but he didn't let it bother him too much as he bent over and wet his brown curls back from the hot sun, almost making the seem black. He stretched back his now broadening shoulders. "Come on Galahad." He clicked softly to his horse as he tugged gently at the reigns.

" _Tirra-lirra-lirra, in the spring, Orioles and robins sweetly sing; From the leafy branches we can hear, Tirra-lirra-lirra, ringing clear! Tirra-lirra-lirra, is our song, When the lovely summer days are long; Rowing on the river or the sea, Tirra-lirra-lirra, sing with glee._ " He sang quietly as he continued walking down the pond.

* * *

The girls were still inspired by the story of Camelot, Their crowns and shields from a couple of weeks later were preserved as dried flowers in the corner, in particular they had been inspired by the lady of Shallot.

Ruby had read it and been inspired by the story of the flowers laying around the tower had brought some dried flowers with her, each done in its own wreath or garland, The flowers now hung around the room.

Jane had weaved a woollen rug which now hung off one of the walls of the shack

Diana had heard it and was inspired by the music mentioned brought an old wooden flute which they played with therein.

Anne had heard it and had been inspired by the four stone towers. Had collected stones throughout the two weeks and had built in one corner of the shack a round stone structure, symbolising the towers.

"Oh ladies what inspiration we have!" Anne exclaimed. "Come!" she told them "let us follow in her footsteps." she said grabbing Diana's hand who grabbed Ruby's who grabbed Jane's as she opened the door upon reciting as the girls giggled as they weaved back and forth through the clearing through the trees

 _"She left the web, she left the loom,_

 _She made three paces thro' the room,_

 _She saw the water-lily bloom,_

 _She saw the helmet and the plume,_

 _She look'd down to Camelot._

 _Out flew the web and floated wide;_

 _The mirror crack'd from side to side;_

 _"The curse is come upon me," cried_

 _The Lady of Shalott!"_

 _"...Down she came and found a boat_

 _Beneath a willow left afloat,_

 _And round about the prow she wrote_

 _The Lady of Shalott."_

Anne said as they arrived at the boat in front of them. _"Of course you must be Elaine, Anne,"_ Diana started.

The girls continued upon their conversation until they pushed off Anne on to the pond. Diana opened her book and started to read "Lying, robed in snowy white

 _That loosely flew to left and right—_

 _The leaves upon her falling light—_

 _Thro' the noises of the night_

 _She floated down to Camelot:_

 _And as the boat-head wound along_

 _The willowy hills and fields among,_

 _They heard her singing her last song,_

 _The Lady of Shalott."_

The three girls played merrily down the pond side, having no care when they lost sight of the dory for a while, because everyone knew there were parts of the pond you couldn't see or access from the side, they recited the poem picking flowers as they went.

Gilbert looked in amazement at his only imaginary friend, as she clung to the pile.

 _"Anne Shirley!"_ he exclaimed, not for the first time since he met Anne had she surprised him and in the years to come he would realise this wouldn't be the last, however this time, she wasn't just impossible, but... _"How on earth did you get there?"_ he exclaimed.

He couldn't just leave her there no matter what the circumstances so without waiting for an answer he pulled close to the pile and extended his hand. He was rather surprised when she took it and scrambled down into the dory _, where she sat, drabbled and furious, in the stern with her arms full of dripping shawl and wet crepe._

 _"What has happened, Anne?" asked Gilbert, taking up his oars_ with a deep sigh.

 _"We were playing Elaine" explained Anne frigidly,_ without even looking at him as if he were a stranger to her, but to him he wasn't if only she knew how much he understood her, _"and I had to drift down to Camelot in the barge—I mean the flat. The flat began to leak and I climbed out on the pile. The girls went for help. Will you be kind enough to row me to the landing?"_

 _Gilbert obligingly rowed_ he watched her as he rowed. They were playing Elaine. Another inspiration for their story book club that was for certain, the last time he had the time to go and listen Anne said they would be playing Camelot all summer, it had certainly inspired her that past winter in class. As the days got longer so did the fields which needed gathering in, so did the cows and pig, chickens and livestock which needed more attention. Indeed Gilbert's summer had not been spent in play, but in work. Not that he minded, he liked to work but this was one of the few times his father had told him "go and relax son" so he did. He never expected to find Anne here, Avonlea was small but if you wanted to avoid someone you could, but here she was, alone, vulnerable and being saved by her very own Lancelot and she didn't even notice! Indeed he was _better_ then Lancelot surely! For he had saved his Lily-Maid. He thought as they came to the landing.

 _"I'm very much obliged to you," she said haughtily as she turned away. But Gilbert had also sprung from the boat and now laid a detaining hand on her arm._

 _"Anne," he said hurriedly, "look here. Can't we be good friends? I'm awfully sorry I made fun of your hair that time. I didn't mean to vex you and I only meant it for a joke. Besides, it's so long ago. I think your hair is awfully pretty now—honest I do. Let's be friends."_ He hadn't much thought it through before it was out of his mouth, but he knew he was being as honest and earnest and brave, as brave as any knight.

 _"No," she said coldly, "I shall never be friends with you, Gilbert Blythe; and I don't want to be!"_

 _"All right!" Gilbert sprang into his skiff with an angry color in his cheeks. "I'll never ask you to be friends again, Anne Shirley. And I don't care either!"_

 _He pulled away with swift defiant strokes_ , rowing as if it would help the red anger which rose inside from the some place as his bile. Angry and hot he could be as determined as she!

He brought the dory ashore and tied it up and marched straight up to Galahad mounting him. He speed through the woods almost in a blind white rage! Before he came to a clearing, with trees all around it, little sprigs of wild flowers growing around the old shack, in front of it was a circular campfire.

Oh if he were any other man! He would unmount this horse and wreck the whole thing in a rage! She would deserve it for breaking his heart!

He unmounted the horse fully expecting himself to do it. As he looked at the rocks which surrounded the campfire he stopped himself as he saw they were decorated.

Sir Galahad. One read, painted with a golden goblet, next to it. Gilbert smiled picking it up "The holy grail." He whispered to himself before he looked up at his horse named after the knight before he put it back. Then one my one he noticed the other 24 stones all painted and decorated round the campfire.

 _Sir Lancelot._ With a red cross and a joust.

 _Sir Gawain_ , the rock painted green with a women painted on the rock.

 _Sir Percival_ with a sword and a fairy.

 _Sir Bedivere_ a cup and a sword.

 _Sir Tristian_ with an Irish flag and a bow and arrow.

Quite unexpected he found himself wiping a tear away. He found painted on the nearby fallen tree King Arthur and Queen Guinevere.

For the first time he entered the shack. He opened the door where his curiosity turned into wonder a smile appearing at his face.

Wreths of dried flowers hung around the room, on the makeshift table were some genuine cut flowers in an old vase. There were crowns and shields not only out of vines and leaves but an actual wooden one with a wooden sword!

Their crowns and shields from a couple of weeks later were preserved as dried flowers in the corner, in particular they had been inspired by the lady of Shallot, he smiled at the weaved rug on the wall, it must have taken hours to complete, but there it was displayed with other items of their little book club.

Gilbert found a piece of paper. For all they had taken care to have a nom de plume there was really no hiding who had written this piece, although it seemed to be the last page in the story as if it had been left there accidentally.

 _... "What are you telling me?" King Arthur asked Merlin. "That this place is full of magic?"_

 _"No sire," Merlin shook his head. "Only that inventions have been found, imagine what men before the wheel would have thought of that!" Merlin explained, "these advances may be magical to you but no more magical then the wheel of our day."_

 _"But I saw a wheel back there, in fact two which moved itself, it had no horses!" King Arthur replied. "You, are a wizard I suppose!" he exclaimed "many things aren't so magical to you."_

 _"That was a bicycle sire, and I never supposed those things are not magical, I said these people live amongst miracles and magic that its not even noticed anymore, real magic just as ever is rarely recognised. In fact it is something they are still struggling with even as this town lives. Nearly 600 miles away is a man accused of witchcraft in a small town called Saleem, they are almost as suspicious as Camelot is of sorcery."_

 _"Is it true? Is he a witch?"_

 _"No." Merlin chuckled "Just a very clever man who knows a bit on how to heal." Merlin informed him "Though your father had men put to death on much less."_

 _"I am not my father." Arthur replied to him._

 _"I know sire." Merlin nodded. "The man is Saleem is the last, or will be the last to be hunted for witchcraft. "As science continues to advance the impact of magic becomes less and less obvious its hard to say what is magic and what is miracle and what is science."_

 _King Arthur looked around him, impressed with what he saw and nodded, "I am impressed with such a place Merlin." He acknowledged, Druids can live in peace and safety, along with everyone else." He thought outloud, "How I wish this for Camelot." He chuckled "How I wish for Camelot!" he corrected himself._

Gilbert took a deep breath and read that last 8 words again _"How I wish for Camelot!"_ he corrected himself.

Anne had written it, the emphasises seemed right there, she longed for knights in shining armour for the magic and the wonder the beauty!

Gilbert chuckled and scratched the back of his head shaking it, she wouldn't think about the cleanliness or the relative poverty these people would live in!

'Oh what advantages we have!' Gilbert thought to himself. Yet he could see, why the romance of Camelot would appeal to Anne.

He took a sigh and wiped a tear knowing he couldn't share this with Anne. Knowing he never would. So maybe if he challenged her? Maybe if he competed with her intellect so she could understand what he understood. He couldn't share this with her with friendship, maybe he could show her it through competition? That's how he could prove to her his passions. Gilbert smiled and nodded leaving the shack behind, he was going to start proving his worth to her.


	8. Change in the wind

**So, I want to clear something up. The books are completely vague as to when Miss Stacy starts teaching at Avonlea, I know when don't get me wrong, but one minute its September then November again I'm pretty sure they mention a summer then back to September. I think? I was really confused, so if I get this wrong I'm sorry. I thought Story book Club was formed before Miss Stacy arrived and continued through until they were basically at Queen's. Forgive me if I misunderstood but that is the bases to the story, so I suppose, its almost canon if its not canon.**

 **But all the same, I'm putting this up a little later then the AOGG, honestly I thought I had finished the chapter before my computer broke but then... it wasn't so I had to write it. Hence two separate day updates.**

* * *

Anne came into the classroom taking her usual seat opposite Gilbert who had already settled himself and although it was the first day of school seemed to be engrossed already in his reader which was set in front of him.

She looked over the aisle to him, not exactly surprised by him wanting to start on his work more, that he hadn't stood, or even acknowledged her presence in order to greet her.

With a swift sound of the bell being rang by Miss Stacy outside the school room, the classroom bustled with other students coming in fast. As their class mates entered Gilbert stood for Charlie and Moody as they came in, the former taking his chair beside Gilbert.

"Good Summer?" Charlie asked Gilbert.

"It wasn't too bad, thanks for asking." He remarked "We got a particularly good crop of the summer fruits and vegetables we're very soon expecting the autumn crop to do just as well they should be ready in time for the festival."

"So you've been in the field all summer?" Charlie asked Gilbert a little surprised.

"No, not all of it, I spent the last two weeks up in Glen St Mary's with my Uncle Dave, I um, had plenty of coves to explore." Gilbert said with a genuine smile to his friends "And you?" he asked Charlie.

"Rather well, I'd say, I didn't scamper around the countryside like some." He said haughtily. "Mother and Father took us on a cultural trip round the America's." He told him.

Gilbert's eyebrows shot up in surprise while Anne no longer feigned not listening she actively turned her head.

"You went to America?" Gilbert asked him.

"Yes, yes, rocks and pioneers and gold rushes." He commented offhandedly and unimpressed. "I'd prefer a view of the old world but father insisted."

Anne let out the long held breath in disappointment of Charlie's lack of interest in the subject. Her eyes flicked to Gilbert who looked equally as disappointed in his companions description but just quickly as their eyes met in the moment Gilbert looked away first focusing instead on Moody who had sat in front of them.

"And you?" Gilbert asked with a spark of humour to Moody.

What Moody did over the summer Anne never knew, for it was in that moment Diana appeared. "Morning Anne!" she said briskly. "How are you today?"

Anne smiled "I'm okay, thank you Diana." She told her friend as the other girls appeared by the time she looked again over to the boys the glint had gone from Gilbert's eye apparently disappointed by Moody's reply.

Oh! That she could tell him that they had been knights of the round table! That King Arthur and Queen Gwen had been their playmates, that what he had seen had only been a glimmer of the adventure they had.

Indeed, she believed Gilbert would be green with envy at the imaginative play! He would had made a fine King Arthur, she thought, as she never wished to be queen! No her place was with the Lily Maid, but had she not been so he would have made a fine Lancelot too.

She let out an angry sigh, letting herself believe it was for thinking of Gilbert as anything but an enemy indeed imagining him in their playtime(!) however deep inside, anyone would be able to see the anger she released was from herself to herself, for passing the opportunity to accept his apology. It was after all genuine, and pleasing to see and hear.

In actual fact in the upcoming months she would soon see the kind of playmate she was rejecting, the time quickly coming upon her when she would start to see, all she could have had, had she only accepted his apology.

"Morning class." Miss Stacy smiled as she came down the aisle between Anne and Gilbert. "I trust we all had an eventful and refreshing holiday."

"Yes Miss Stacy." They chanted.

"Very well. Lets all stand for the Queen."

The class complied with the request.

 _"_ _God save our gracious Queen,_ _  
Long live our noble Queen,..."_ Anne sang with her classmates as her mind wandered across the aisle to Gilbert. She looked at him curiously, wondering what was in his family history.  
 _"...God save the Queen;  
Send her victorious..."_

'Maybe in some distance land long ago there was a Blythe boy just like him, who fought in a battle for King and country.' She thought  
 _"...Happy and glorious,  
Long to reign over us,..." _

'He'd be bold and strong, perhaps where Gilbert got these personality traits.'  
 _"...God save the Queen..."_

'Wait?' Anne wondered, 'Gilbert isn't bold and strong. Is he?' She wondered.  
 _"...Our loved Dominion bless  
With peace and happiness..."_

'When had I started thinking of Gilbert like that?' She wondered.  
 _"...From shore to shore;  
And let our Empire be..." _

She physically shook her head and turned away, she was so busy in her own thoughts she didn't see Gilbert look over at her curiously.  
 _"...United, loyal, free,"_

'Why was she staring?' He wondered.  
 _True to herself and Thee  
For ever more."_

He shook his head,' now my imagination was running wild.' He thought to himself

"Thank you class." Miss Stacy said allowing them to sit again. "I'd like to introduce myself to you, my name is Miss Stacy and I am your new teacher here..."

"Miss Stacy says that critical thinking is essential for the writer." She said to them after the huge groan from the other girls. "and I would think that after our talk with Miss Stacy we would want to review what it meant in our writing."

"Oh but Anne, I'm tired of hearing about it at school, now we're bringing it into our play time." Ruby complained.

"Don't you think we've had quite enough of the moral code already Anne?" Diana asked her.

"I think its a sensible idea." Jane interjected.

"Thank you Jane." Anne said sitting up looking hopeful. "It would be foolish for us not to amend our writing according to our experiences, isn't that what all great writers do?" Jane asked.

Diana's shoulder slumped "I suppose so."

"What difference does morality have to do with writing?" Ruby asked them.

Jane smiled slightly "Maybe people wouldn't be 'making love' quite so often Ruby." She teased.

"With Philbert, or Wilburt, Herbert or Sherbert." Diana grinned.

"And attaching our selves to one man, one heart quite so young could lead to promiscuous circumstances." Anne added.

"I don't see what would be quite so bad." Ruby said going dreamily "...if a union was to take place." She said. "I'd happily wed now." She proclaimed.

All three girls looked at her deadpan for a moment before Jane said "At fourteen?"

"I don't see what's quite so bad about it, my ma was 16 when she married pappy." Ruby said decidedly.

"And before then?" Anne asked her "Who do you want to be?"

"I want to prepare to be a good wife." She told her.

"And what about if you don't marry?" Jane asked her.

Ruby looked offended "Well that's just a mean thing to say!"

"I don't think that's what Jane meant." Diana defended.

"Indeed I didn't." Jane followed.

"What else can it mean?" she asked.

"Well what about when you marry you want to be interesting to your husband?" Anne asked her.

"I'll agree with him of course. I'll be whatever he wants me to be." She said.

"I doubt he'll like that." Anne said rolling her eyes a little.

"Oh?" Diana said with a teasing smile, hoping Gilbert was listening outside, although she knew he hadn't for a while over the summer. "And what do you know of _his_ likes?"

Anne flushed at the realisation that everyone present knew Ruby's intention was to marry Gilbert Blythe, that she herself was thinking of said boy when she gave her reply, not that she was ready to admit it "I was speaking of the general not the specific _he_." She objected before swiftly changing the subject. "Alright ladies, if this is a point of contention, perhaps it could be a theme for your stories." She started. "'The perfect wife,'" Anne said with a smile to her friends. "Lets write what each of us think a perfect wife consists of, what she is like what her thoughts and feelings are. Who she was and who she has become."

The group sat silent for a moment before Diana chirped up with "It'll be very different to what we normally write."

"very different, in style in tone." Jane added, "not that I think its a bad idea."

"No?" Anne asked her.

"No." Jane confirmed.

"Diana?" Anne asked her to confirm.

"Well we can all _try_." Diana hesitated.

"Ruby?" Anne turned to her.

"I think I'd like to prove to you all how much a man would care for me being exactly as he liked me."

Anne chuckled "Challenge accepted."


	9. The Concert

**Okay, I again thought this (the debate club concert) happened after the Lily Maid! (apparently not!)Never mind I'm putting it in because it makes sense to put it here. I'm probably thinking of the 1985-89 Anne of Green Gables... But of course, Jonathan Crombie is a distraction enough for all!**

* * *

"That is not what its like to be a wife!" Anne objected. The discussion after the girls had read their stories to each other became quite heated.

The girls all (obviously) had different opinions on what the perfect housewife would be, each one locked somewhere between their own fantasies of the future and the reality of the future. Little boy ought to know that little girl's vision of the future is always different to how it turns out, it doesn't mean we are unhappy in it when we do get there, our ideals change an move as we get older and so does our sense of reality and our dreams shift and change.

Jane's was very solid in the sensible running of the household. She had described the daily chores and taking care of the modest three children. No where was there any hint that she had future expectations of the life which was to come for her (which probably strengthen the attraction of a future Mr. Inglis she would go on to marry).

Diana's (so called) dashing brave husband was all too idealistic. Like many little girls dreams he was the generic tall dark and handsome, but otherwise quite and ordinary fellow, or so it was written. Otherwise her housewife, was much as she would be. Smart, organised, she was loving towards her three children and would be quite shocked to find she would actually marry (a not so tall dark and handsome, average height, fair haired and average looking, but abounding in thoughtful and loving actions for his wife and children) Fred Wright.

Anne's husband had been the tall, dashing, melancholic stranger of her dreams, although the housewife in description was far from her own. They would live in their castle with their heir and a darling little princess. The husband would dote on the children and the wife giving in to their every whim, because he could.

Ruby's had been much like every story she had written. Tall, lean boy with the physical features of a certain other boy the all knew but no one dare speak his name out of fear of Anne's reaction. The girl was so like herself, usually with the name of a precious crystal. It even went as far as saying they would be farmers. If Anne wasn't so critical of Ruby's work she would have noticed that in everything Ruby had written, there was no heir's and graces, Ruby's own 'lofty' dreams were in being a wife of a farmer who could provide for her and two children. For someone so ideal in the looks department, she _could_ attract most men of her choosing, just not the current one she hung her fantasies on. It was however full of 'loving-making' again, which is the point Anne was objecting to.

"How would you know!" Ruby objected "You aren't one!"

"Oh because all wives do all day long is 'make love' to their husbands!" Anne retorted.

"Well they do!" Ruby's foot stroke the ground in frustration.

"Then how does she only have two children?" Anne asked logically "Or have you forgotten the talk we had with Miss Stacy!"

"Oh and its so much more likely that they are mooning around their husbands, Is that all you're going to do Anne?" Ruby asked her. "Float from room to room doing nothing while your husband is Lord of the manor?"

"I don't see what's so unrealistic about marrying someone like that, and the story isn't about me!" Anne told her.

"And mine isn't about me!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Oh please! Crystal has blond hair blue eyes and Albert has hazel eyes and brown curly hair and is a son of a farmer, we all _know_ who its about!" Anne argued

"I find it funny that its you that always bring _Gilbert_ up when you apparently despise him." Ruby threw back at her.

Anne's nostrils flared in anger but before she could retort Jane cut it in a teacherish tone "I think that's quite enough ladies!" Jane calmly told them. "I think we all need to calm down!" Jane continued "its my turn to run the meeting today and I think it should come to an end before we all end up killing each other over _fictional_ characters."

Anne packed up in silence not looking at anyone. Ruby was the first to leave the shack closely followed by Jane, who looked woefully and Diana before leaving.

Diana and Anne walked home quietly and were most of the way there before Diana asked her "Is that really what you expect to be like as a wife?"

Anne took a heavy sigh "Its a dream Diana, a dream world." She said with a shrug. "Another glass mirror shattered." Anne said quietly.

Diana looked to her worried, realities had never been Anne's strong point. Fantasy held her strong, did she have a sense of a real future, what her real husband would be like? Did she know he probably wouldn't be this dasher of a man in her dreams. But it didn't seem fair to break those dreams away from Anne. She had never really said much about orphanages or the people who she lived with, what she saw or what had happened to her, but Diana had heard stories (not from Anne, but from Newspapers and from her parents) of what these places and often people were like. "I wonder what they will be like?" she said to Anne.

"Who?" Anne asked.

"Our future husbands!" Diana exclaimed. "I hope they are best friends..." she said linking arms with each other "...so they won't mind if we are around each other all the time." She told Anne.

"Maybe they'll be brother." Anne smiled back at her "then we'll be sisters."

Diana smiled. "That would be nice." She agreed with her "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetest Anne."

With that the two girls parted.

* * *

 _Little did Anne know that night that she would have a dream which would be part of her subconscious thoughts in the future. She stood in front of her castle in Spain, inside she knew she would find her husband. She smiled as she approached the door and in her dream she wasn't surprised to find Gilbert Blythe there._

 _"Where would you like this?" he asked her a large frame in hand, "I honestly couldn't decided where to out it and you're always better at this then me."_

 _Anne could feel her own thoughts filter though for the Anne in the dream to not like Gilbert, but the Anne in the dream smiled at him. "In the middle, right over the table."_

 _Gilbert smiled and nodded "Sure." He agreed getting the hammer and nails and after hammering the nail into the wall he picked up the frame again putting it on the wall. "Tell me when...?" he asked of her trying to get it straight._

 _Dream Anne looked up "more to the left... more more... oh too far back again to the right... perfect!" she exclaimed._

 _Dream Gilbert wasn't looking at the picture frame when he nodded "Perfect."_

 _Oh Anne would wake without consciously remembering the dream, at least for a little while **yet**._

* * *

It was down to the final three. Anne, Gilbert and Charlie stood behind their desks. None of which yet had made a spelling mistake, the words gradually getting harder.

"Okay Charlie, " Miss Stacy smiled "Necessary?"

"N-E-C-S-S-A-R-Y." Charlie spelled.

"Well done." Miss Stacy encouraged "Anne, Accommodation?"

"A-C-C-O-M-M-O-D-A-T-I-O-N." Anne confirmed.

"Correct. Gilbert, Business?"

"B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S." He spelled.

"Well done Gilbert. Charlie, Stationary."

"S-T-A-T-I-O-N-E-R-Y."

"I'm sorry Charlie, its A-R-Y." Miss Stacy told him with a pitiful look at him he cringed at the mistake his head flung back before he sat down. "Anne, Assistant?"

"A-S-S-I-S-T-" she paused while Gilbert tried to look at her out of the corner of his eye, his lips upturned egging her on to say the correct spelling "A-N-T."

Gilbert let out a sigh of relief for her as he smiled for her.

"Correct." Miss Stacy continued. "Gilbert, Separate."

"S-E-P-A-R-A-T-E." He said with a nod. Knowing he had got it right.

"Well done." Miss Stacy told him. "Anne, Definitely."

"D-E—" she slowed for a moment, "F-I-N-A-T-E-L-Y."

Gilbert looked to her surprised. He knew she knew how to spell definitely, definitely!

"Are you sure of that Anne?" Miss Stacy asked her.

Gilbert looked at her for a moment, her eyes seemed slightly dreamy, as if she had something else on her mind, this infrequently happened in class, she was often more focused then most people in the class, truth be told even more then him at times, though she carried some of the blame on that one- since she was his distraction.

"Um-" she started, "Yes?" she almost questioned.

"I'm sorry Anne." She turned to Gilbert Anne sat down, "Can you spell it?" she asked Gilbert.

Gilbert paused for a moment, he wanted to show her compassion, he would be happy to draw, , then he remembered his resolve, he was going to prove his worthiness of her "Definitely," he nodded with a smiled "D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y."

"Well done." Miss Stacy nodded, "and to secure your victory. Embarrassed."

"E-M-B-A-R-R-A-S-S-E-D." Gilbert said almost smoothly.

"Congratulations." Miss Stacy nodded allowing him to sit.

The class was silent and had been for the last half an hour, Gilbert was just about finished these mental arithmetic questions he was surprised when he was five from the end, Anne stood and walked to the front of the class, indicating she had finished. He looked surprised for a moment, before he returned to his own paper, telling himself he ought to get a move in. Where Anne normally got the answers correct she normally finished after he did. It was a few seconds later he heard Miss Stacy apologized to Anne, asking her to check her answers.

It was a couple of minutes later he stood taking his paper the to front. It took a minute for Miss Stacy to mark then all correct. He smiled in relief before he looked at Anne as he came down the aisle.

Her concentration was completely off today, even the way she held her head in working was wrong. She was distracted and he couldn't imagine why.

Gilbert looked over at Anne, he sighed heavy. He victories for the day seemed empty, winning at her worse wasn't the victory of loosing at her best.

* * *

At the end of the day he walked a few paces behind Anne and Diana as he often did, far enough away so that Anne wasn't concerned about how close he was (after all he was following them because they all had to cut through the woods and down the path to get to their respective houses so it wasn't strange for him to following them, a fact Anne had long ago come to terms with) but close enough that he could make out what they were saying.

"Oh Diana! I'm so excited!" Anne exclaimed to her. "A concert!" Anne said to her "A real life concert!"

Gilbert smiled. He didn't know she was going to be there tonight. If they had been friends he would have told her he was going to do a recital. He wasn't excited as much as nervous, after all he had memorized a poem! He had been working hard all day to try and keep his mind off tonight! But the heavens had opened, _she_ would be there!

"My cousins showed me how to do our hair all modern!" Diana told her "Oh Anne! I think yours shall be beautiful in it! Can I do it for you?" she asked her.

"I would you to!" Anne exclaimed happily.


	10. Muse

If I were to tell you my muse, you'd never believe me. Who would? Who would believe a muse would hit you over the head with a slate one day and suddenly the whole world opened up to you.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a love story, again you have to believe me on this point, because its **not** a love story. Well, its not one she would write anyway.

I'm not making much sense am I? No, I suppose from the outward in it doesn't make much sense, but from the inside out, it makes the most sense in the world!

I'll start that day for you if you like? The day we met. I'd been in New Brunswick for the summer you see. School, although important to my family hasn't been our main focus. You see four years ago my dad got really sick and I went with him, to help. I guess we figured there are more important things in life, like each other, which is true, but anyway missing the beginning of school to go and see family was more important then 'settling in' to school, especially the way Mr Phillips chose to teach.

I went to school like any other fourteen year old boy, and so clueless as to what would happen that day.

I'm pretty popular with everyone, I was a bit of a joker back then I suppose, and sometimes I could be cruel without meaning to be cruel, but people would forgive me because I was me.

But she didn't know me, she hadn't grown up with me. How was she to know the 'carrots' jibe was in jest? I just wanted her attention for a moment.

She fascinated me from the moment I saw the back of her head from the back of the classroom, she was talking to Diana Barry, so if her company was any indication of her it meant she was sweet and kind. Her hair were in two neat very thick very red plaits the bottom of them curling sweetly. She was about Diana's age, and then as I sat down across the aisle from them, I was expecting something for them to look to say hello but they were absorbed in their own discussion, and I was never the type to pine for attention turned my hand to tease Ruby who sat in front of me. So it expired that Anne had seen the whole thing, how I had pinned Ruby's hair to the chair then she had tried to get it the plait remained it pulled her hair I whipped the pin away and hid it acted like nothing happened, well Anne saw it and didn't like it. But when I saw she saw I may have winked for her approval which I didn't get.

What I did get was a clear look into those eyes of hers.

They're as grey as a tempest, as green as a calm meadow, wide and expressive. Seriously the most beautiful fascination I've ever experienced.

So all day I tried to get her attention again and this was something else which completely perplexed me. I failed. I figured with her being able to concentrate like that... well I had to meet her!

But the more I tried the more I failed, and the biggest fail was yet to come.

At this point lets make clear, I was kind of pursuing her. I mean I wasn't used to failing to make a girl look at me. I knew I was handsome enough, believe me I'm boarder line cocky at times! I thought Anne should look at me. With her little pointed chin and those eyes! Those eyes!

So I reached across the aisle, took her hair and whispered

"Carrots! Carrots!"

And then, then I did get those pretty eyes looking at me, looking at me with a vengeance!

She did more than look. She sprang to her feet, her bright fancies fallen into cureless ruin. She flashed one indignant glance at me from eyes whose angry sparkle was swiftly quenched in equally angry tears.

"You mean, hateful boy!" she exclaimed passionately. "How dare you!"

And then—thwack! She had me. Her slate clear broke across my head, my pride hurt more then my head (surprisingly)

Well you can imagine it was quite the scene in school. This was an especially enjoyable one for everyone not involved.

But then Mr Phillips decided it was Anne's fault. I tried, I really did for the first time in my life I tried to take the blame, I didn't know she would give as good as she got, no other girl had ever ever gave back what she got and I'll admit it, it felt awful! She ended up at the blackboard all day, Mr Phillips insisting on punishing her not only by writing but saying out loud

"Ann Shirley has a very bad temper. Ann Shirley must learn to control her temper," and then read it out loud so that even the primer class, who couldn't read writing, should understand it. Yes, this is the level of care taken upon our education by our teacher, he couldn't even bring himself to write her name properly!

Of all the behaviour in the world! I swear, honestly I know you must discipline at times but this was humiliation, Mr Phillips finest form of discipline.

I would have taken her place in a heartbeat and I did try to apologise but just like the other times, she was not like the others. I later heard her tell Diana that I had "hurt my feelings _excruciatingly_ , Diana."

And that hurt me. Not the words, but the idea I had hurt someone, I never thought teasing could hurt. Here I am three and a bit years later and she still won't forgive me.

If only she knew that hurts me, on a daily bases, excruciatingly.

But, she has taught me so much! Oh she may hate me, but I don't her. I watch her from a distance, she is as fierce in her loyalty as she is in her distain. She had no half feelings, it was all or nothing and it was rarely nothing.

For example, Miss Stacy (our much improved teacher from the previous mentioned one) set up a class for entrance to the Queen's academy in Charlottetown. Well, a lot of us signed up, despite the other girls not being quite like Anne, they have sense enough to want to go to Queens. Well Diana's mother decided Diana couldn't stay, something about domestic duties, and as Diana was leaving Anne cried for her. Cried? What for, I may never know. Empathy of her friend being alone, for her own sake for feeling alone in the queen's class, wanting her friend to have the same as her including her education? A recognition that in the unlikely event Diana didn't marry, she might not have the means of taking care of herself? I don't know what it was, but I can tell you this. I wanted to go and sit with Anne, put my arm around her and tell her that everything will right itself. I wanted to, but couldn't.

But I'm not pining.

You might think I am but you'd be wrong. Because I'm proving that I'm not. I mean when you pine do you get on with life? If she doesn't want to be my friend well its fine.

I'm happy in my acquaintances and I have my own group of friends, I don't need to get to know her and by being myself and getting on with things, well maybe one day she'll see what she's missing.

So I do as she pleases, if she won't acknowledge my existence I won't hers, except as a rival in school, Anne Shirley prevented any measure of friendship between us, well then that's her business.

So you can see Anne Shirley is a fire. She burns so brightly that you can not ignore it, and I don't know what it is when that slate came down on my head, I don't know some of her fire must have came down with the slate and gave me flame, because ever since I've been wanting more.

I wanted to make it up to her, maybe I will still one day, but I wanted to do it. I've been teasing girls since I was nine years old, I never wanted to make it up to any of them before.

I wanted to prove that I wasn't just some dumb boy, because I've never had any problems with my grades but I wanted to keep up, with her! Its true its easier in some areas then other, Her arithmetic is a little dusty in places but her creative writing is amazing!

Its not just to her though. Its spread. I want to prove to my mom and dad that I can do all the school stuff, I want to help more to prove myself to them. I want to prove to my friends, that I'm not the nine year old teaser anymore, that I'm grown and a man! I mean I'm seventeen now, not nine.

Which is why I'm so determined, so sure that I'm not all that immature anymore. I love to learn I want to make something better of myself. The world is wide and wonderful, wise and wild and I only a man in it. I want to know it, I want to touch it and experience it. I love my corner of the world, I love PEI I love Avonlea, but there is more and I want to see it. I want to take her with me to experience it all and together we could talk of what we find, of the wonder of it. It has lived long before us and outlive us all.

I know going to Queens will be the start of it, I doubt I'll remain a teacher my whole life, but I want to make a difference.

And you know we're getting older I'm seventeen Anne is going to be fifteen very soon, and she is a force to be reckoned with.

I wish, I wish we could walk the path together, I don't even mean romantically (although it wouldn't be unwelcomed) I wish to compare notes on our studying, I wish to accompany her to dances and culture events and tell her how much I enjoy her company, because I know I will.

For the time being however, I am fated to walk only on a parallel path , towards the same destination but separate, I wish I could see where our paths will merge to one, or even not a mile apart.


	11. A Closed Chapter

I feel as though I'm having one of those moments where everything changes but everything else remains the same.

The world, it seems in my eyes has shifted view and its no longer what it used to be, the funny thing is, that nothing has changed, other then me.

I think to myself it can not be so, the whole world has changed on me I have not changed, but then something is said, something is felt and I realise its not the whole world but I who have changed.

Marilla said, just the other day I don't chatter half as much as I used to, or use half as many big words. For a spilt second I wanted to tell her she was wrong that I do. Inside my mind the words have changed in form, its not that the big words aren't known to me anymore, I know them as old friends, its just that I know now that big words don't always mean big meaning. What has came over me?

The lost child I was only saw the world as big and wide and since my place in the world was undefined, unfixed, unsettled, I was a child of the world with nothing to ground me, for me to identify with and so some of the big fancy words were just the opposite for me, exact and precise labels. I'd put absolute labels on everything as to help me try and find my anchor.

Now, its not as though those labels are completely obsolete anymore, its just the ground beneath my feet is no longer shifting, its strong its stable and I can finally feel as though I belong somewhere, I am becoming defined and fixed and settled. The world is still wide and wonderful, wise and wild and was here long before us and outlive us all. But I finally have a place in it and I can start labelling thing which are small to read but are so big in terms of my world.

Friends

Family

Home

Love

You can only imagine how differently I feel now! I've had the sensible and stable rooting of Marilla Cuthbert, I've had the strong and sensitive rooting of Matthew Cuthbert. I have the bosom friend I've always longed for my Diana, and I have friends! And I know that Gil the boys will continue to challenge me and make me think! Long gone are the days that Gil the boys pass the advanced book to me under the table, Miss Stacy has made sure of that, but they continue to challenge me—academically of course.

It is a shame not to use the big words anymore, especially since I am fifteen and quite big enough to actually use them now, but as I told Marilla, sometimes its nicer to think dear, pretty thoughts and

keep them in one's heart, like treasures. I don't like to have them laughed at or wondered over. And somehow I don't want to use big words any more.

Our story club is no more—I know, I know it seems a shame, but a part of it isn't so sad. I have all the stories in my trunk, maybe one day they will be of use, maybe one day we can pull them all out and laugh at our youthful follies—or maybe one day they will inspire!

I'm hopefully off to Queens in September I hope for our whole class to be there, everyone, even those who challenge me the most. Yes, for what is an achievement if they are easy to us? I do enjoy to be challenged and to work towards—something! It gives me purpose and hope.

So you see change is a plenty, and that used to scare me and I suppose a part of me is still afraid, but there's a bigger part of me which is excited! I'm going off into the world, not alone but with friends and rivals, and I'm comfortable in that, its comforting. It's not quite as scary, when you have a home to return to.

So I am going to close the chapter in my book of life, and look forward—

To my life as

A Queen's Girl.

* * *

Okay so, this is the end of part one of my Story Club series (because I am actually splitting this one up which again is so unlike me!) Part 2 is called a Queen's Girl, s/13334712/1/A-Queens-Girl

I predict a Queen's Girl only being 2-5 chapters at most, and it will cover until the end of AOGG. But it felt like a different chapter in her life so I'm putting it as a different story but obviously a continuation of this one.

Thanks for all of your support on this and especially in AOGG (that thing is going on forever!) Thank you Thank you!


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